A  Child 


OF  THE 


l:^^ 


"  *  *  *  >  -f  ?..       ; 

*  ^  '!^  -*  #  #  .f^  -^^ 


*    *    #    +    f    ♦    ^    ^jt^fy^fm, 

*      4      t      *      -^      -f      ♦      #      ^     -^    ^ 


(/;'7^(?^'';//---^i%''''-  '/'r^^lB^' 


<s^-iL 


ELIZABETH  WHITNEY  WILLIAMS. 


A  CHILD 
OF  THE 

SEA;   AND 
LIFE  AMONG 
THE  MORMONS 


^Elizabeth(whitney)Williams. 


BY 


1905 
J.  E.  JEWETT,  Publisher. 

17  LAWTON  ST.,  BROOKLYN.  NY. 


>a4 


Copyrighted  1905 
Elizabeth  Whitney  Williams. 


Bificffott  utmuy 


\^         Raping  Itpeb  all  my  life  bcsibc  tl?e  mater, 

•  Jv.  w'xtl}  my  htoilftts  anb    many  bear  frienbs 

•^^  sailing  on  t^e  lakes,  anb  wxil}  tl?e  loss  of 

\     many  of  my  people  by  brotuning,  connecteb 

k     voxtl)  t^e  many  years  of  my  life  as  a  Cigl?t 

sVOs  Keeper,  3  affectionately  bebicate  tl^is  little 

*)     book,  tt?it^  fragments  of  my  life  l^istory,  to 

tf?e  sailor  men  in  rol^ose  ttjclfare  3  I^ape  al- 

tuays  felt  a  bzap  interest. 

€Itzabctlj  IDljttneij  IPilHams. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Arciiive 
in  2007  with  funding  from 
IVIicrosoft  Corporation  , 


http://www.archive.org/details/childofsealifeamOOwillrich 


3(ntroburtnrg, 


At  the  earnest  request  of  many  friends  I  have 
written  this  book  with  some  incidents  of  my  early 
life  before  coming  to  Beaver  Island. 

What  I  have  written  about  the  Mormons  are  my 
own  personal  experiences  and  what  I  knew  about 
them  by  living  constantly  near  them  for  four  years 
of  my  life;  our  leaving  the  island  and  settling  at 
Charlevoix  for  safety  then  our  being  driven  from 
there.  After  the  fight  then  my  life  in  Traverse  City 
and  finally  returning  to  Beaver  Island  again.  After 
the  Mormons  were  expelled  my  twenty-seven  years' 
residence  at  that  time  with  the  four  first  years  gives 
thirty-one  years  of  Beaver  Island  life  with  as  much 
knowledge  of  Mormon  life  as  any  one  outside  of 
their  teachings  could  possibly  have.  In  this  little 
history  I  have  only  touched  lightly  upon  the  reality, 
writing  v/hat  my  memory  contained  that  might  be 
interesting,  telling  the  stories  as  near  as  possible  as 
they  were  told  to  me  by  the  people  themselves  that 
had  lived  and  suffered  by  the  Mormon  doctrine; 
some  things  my  parents  told  me  when  I  was  too 
young  to  remember,  during  the  first  part  of  my 
residence  on  ''Beaver  Island." 


^tograplig- 


My  father,  Walter  Whitney,  was  born  in  Gene- 
see Coiinty,  New  York  State.  At  the  breaking  out 
of  the  Blackhawk  and  Florida  war,  enlisted,  served 
his  time,  was  honorably  discharged,  came  to  Fort 
Brady,  Sault  Ste.  Marie,  from  there  to  Mackinac 
Island,  there  married  my  mother,  who  was  a  widow 
with  three  sons,  myself  being  the  only  child  born  of 
that  marriage. 

My  mother  was  born  on  Mackinac  Island  of 
British  parents,  left  an  orphan  young,  was  adopted 
by  Captain  Michael  Dousman  and  wife,  residing  in 
their  family  almost  thirty  years.  She  married  Mr. 
Lewis  Gebeau  of  Montreal,  Canada.  Four  sons 
were  born  Mr.  Gebeau  and  one  son  dying.  My 
mother  married  Walter  Whitney,  my  father,  resid- 
ing part  of  the  time  at  Mackinac  Island,  going  to 
Grand  Haven  with  the  ferrys  returning  again  to 
Mackinac  Island  until  my  father  took  the  contract  to 
build  the  Newton  Brothers'  vessel  "Eliza  Caroline," 
on  the  little  island  St.  Helena,  then  our  winter  in 
Manistique,  then  our  coming  to  Beaver  Island.  I 
was  born  at  Mackinac  Island.  My  mother  lived  to 
the  grand  age  of  one  hundred  years,  passing  away 
since  my  residence  at  Little  Traverse  Light  House 
on  Harbor  Point,  Michigan,  U.  S.  A. 


3(Uttatratton0. 


i^ 


Elizabeth  Whitney  Williams.  Frontispiece,     fc"^^^ 

The   Light    House    and   Life    Saving  Station    at    Beaver      0^3 
Island  Harbor,  Michigan. 

James  Jesse  Strang,  the  Mormon  King. 

King  Strang's  Residence.     Built  in  1850.  0    / 

The  Mormon  Feast  Ground  at  Font  Lake,  Beaver  Island.        ^^y 

The  King's  Highway,  Beaver  Island.  i  Mrf 

The  old  Mormon  Printing  Office,  now  the  Gibson  House,  /  (Z  f 
at  Saint  James,  Beaver  Island,  Michigan. 

Font  Lake,  Beaver  Island,  where  King  Strang  baptized  his   /  j^ 
people. 

Little  Traverse  Light  House,  at  Harbor  Point,  Michigan.      JvAi*  v 


A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA, 

AND 

LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS. 
PART  L 

EARLY   MEMORIES  OF  CHILDHOOD  DAYS. 

Among  my  earliest  recollections  is  my  love  of 
watching  the  water.  I  remember  standing  with  my 
arms  outstretched  as  if  to  welcome  and  catch  the 
white  topped  waves  as  they  came  rolling  in  upon  the 
white,  pebbly  shore  at  my  feet.  I  was  not  quite  three 
years  old,  my  mother  had  left  me  asleep  in  the  low, 
old-fashioned  cradle  and  leaving  the  door  ajar  had 
stepped  over  to  a  neighbor's  house  just  a  few  rods 
away;  returning  almost  immediately,  she  found  I 
was  not  in  the  cradle  as  she  had  left  me  a  short  time 
before.  She  began  to  search  for  me  at  once  and 
fearing  I  had  gone  to  the  shore  she  ran  down  to  the 
beach  where  the  rolling  waves  were  coming  in  with 
a  booming  sound,  and  the  wind  blowing  a  gale.  She 
found  me  standing  in  the  water  laughing  and  reach- 
ing out  my  little  arms  as  the  great  waves  broke  and 
dashed  at  my  feet.  Had  she  not  come  just  in  time  I 
would  have  been  carried  out  with  the  receding 
waves. 

I  had  always  lived  near  the  water,  but  until  this 
time  had  never  seemed  to  realize  or  distinguish  it 


12  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

from  other  things.  Our  house  stood  just  a  few  steps 
back  from  the  shore,  sheltered  in  a  Httle  grove  of 
evergreen  trees.  The  sun  shining  on  the  water  in 
the  early  morning  caused  it  to  sparkle  like  myriads 
of  diamonds,  and  the  soft  glimmer  which  shone 
through  the  green  trees  even  now  reminds  me  of 
some  half-remembered  dream.  All  seemed  so  peace- 
ful and  quiet.  I  remember  at  other  times  when  no 
wind  was  near  and  water  was  calm  at  night  when  I 
lay  in  my  cradle  I  could  hear  the  soft  splash  of  the 
water  in  low  murmurs  as  it  came  softly  upon  the 
gravelly  beach  so  near  to  us.  To  me  it  seemed  like 
some  sweet  lullaby  lulling  me  to  sleep  while  listening 
to  its  low,  moaning  sound.  My  mother  said  it 
always  made  her  weep,  for  to  her  it  was  the  sad 
whispering  voices  of  departed  friends. 

ISLAND  OF  ST.   HELENA. 

The  little  island  of  St.  Helena  is  situated  about 
fifteen  miles  from  Mackinac  Island,  in  Lake  Michi- 
gan. Two  brothers,  named  Archie  and  Carl  New- 
ton had  located  at  this  little  island ;  they  bought  the 
land  around  the  little  harbor  and  put  out  a  good 
dock,  built  a  large  store  and  house  and  prepared  to 
establish  a  business  with  the  fishermen  of  lower 
Lake  Michigan.  They  needed  a  good  vessel  for 
their  trading  purposes  and  concluded  to  have  one 
built  for  themselves.  My  father  being  a  ship  car- 
penter, signed  a  contract  to  build  their  ship,  which 
was  to  be  named  ''Eliza  Caroline,"  in  honor  of  both 
brothers'  wives,  who  were  sisters.  And  long  the 
"Eliza  Caroline"  sailed  on  Lake  Michigan,  carrying 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  13 

thousands  of  dollars  worth  of  merchandise  and  fish, 
doing  her  work  nobly  and  well.  The  building  of  the 
ship  brought  our  family  to  the  dear  little  island  of 
St.  Helena. 

COMING  OF  COUSIN  MITCHELL 

When  we  went  to  live  on  the  island  there  were 
about  twenty-five  families  there.  Much  help  was 
needed  to  build  the  ship  so  several  families  came  for 
that  purpose.  One  bright  morning  in  June,  not  long 
after  my  going  to  watch  the  waves,  I  was  sitting  on 
the  floor  beside  my  cradle  playing  with  my  dolls 
and  my  little  white  kitten,  when  a  man  came  in  the 
door ;  a  beautiful  woman  stood  beside  him.  Mother 
was  at  work ;  she  looked  and  gave  a  cry  of  delight 
when  she  saw  them.  They  clasped  hands  and  kissed 
each  other.  The  man  took  me  in  his  arms,  kissing 
me  and  putting  me  in  the  woman's  lap,  where  she 
was  sitting  in  mother's  rocking  chair.  The  woman 
kissed  me  and  smoothed  my  hair  while  mother  went 
out  to  call  father.  He  soon  came  in  and  all  talked 
for  some  time.  At  last  the  gentleman  and  lady  left, 
with  father  and  mother  following,  taking  me  with 
them.  We  went  to  the  dock,  where  a  vessel  was 
with  many  people  on  board,  men,  women  and  chil- 
dren, all  were  laughing  and  talking  so  happily  to- 
gether. Soon  the  vessel  was  under  way  with  white 
sails  spread  to  the  breeze. 

Our  people  waved  handkerchiefs  to  those  on 
board  and  hands  were  waved  back  to  us  with  hand- 
kerchiefs fluttering  as  far  as  we  could  see  them.  The 
tears  ran  down  my  mother's  face  for  her  heart  had 


14  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

been  set  on  going  with  those  people  when  they  went 
to  Green  Bay,  the  Mecca  of  the  west  at  that  time. 
The  man  and  woman  were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William 
Mitchell.  Mr.  Mitchell  was  my  mother's  cousin; 
they  had  disposed  of  their  property  on  Mackinac 
Island  and  with  other  families  were  about  to  make 
new  homes  in  Green  Bay.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baird 
were  among  the  rest.  This  had  all  been  talked  over 
before  my  father  had  left  Mackinac  Island  and  our 
people  had  intended  to  go  with  the  rest,  yet  not 
knowing  when  they  would  be  ready  to  start,  my 
father  had  taken  the  contract  to  build  the  ship  and 
could  not  possibly  go  at  this  time  but  promised  to 
go  in  the  near  future,  should  all  things  prove  favor- 
able. Mr.  Mitchell  was  a  man  of  very  fine  appear- 
ance, courtly  in  his  manners,  kind  and  genial  in  dis- 
position, loved  by  all  that  knew  him.  His  wife  was 
gentle  in  manner,  a  sweet-voiced  and  sweet-faced 
lady. 

One  of  mother's  friends  had  sent  a  package  to  us 
from  Mackinac  Island.  When  opened  we  found  it 
contained  a  beautiful  white,  hand-embroidered 
French  Merino  shoulder  blanket,  a  red  Merino 
dress,  ready  made,  little  red  morroco  shoes  and  a 
gold  ring  for  my  finger.  All  was  sent  as  a  present 
to  Baby  Elizabeth.  Mrs.  Mitchell  had  brought  me 
a  large  wax  doll  that  opened  and  shut  its  eyes  and 
had  real  hair.  I  was  afraid  of  the  doll  when  it 
opened  and  shut  its  eyes.  Being  fond  of  bright 
colors,  the  red  dress  and  shoes  were  a  delight  to  me. 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  15 

PROMISES  TO  GO  THE  NEXT  YEAR  TO  GREEN  BAY. 

My  brothers  were  not  at  home  when  the  Mitch- 
ells came,  they  being  over  to  St.  Ignace  on  a  visit 
to  some  friends.  When  they  returned  and  learned 
Cousin  Mitchell  had  been  at  our  home  they  could 
not  be  consoled  as  they  had  expected  to  go  to  Green 
Bay  and  go  to  school.  Their  father's  brother,  their 
Uncle  John  Gebeau,  was  living  in  Green  Bay,  so 
this  was  a  great  disappointment  to  them.  Father 
said  if  all  went  well  and  good  news  came  from 
Cousin  Mitchell  we  would  move  to  Green  Bay  the 
next  year,  so  the  boys  felt  content  and  father  would 
not  break  his  contract  made  with  the  Newton 
Brothers  to  build  their  vessel.  Of  course  I  was  too 
young  to  realize  all  this  at  the  time  but  was  told  it 
when  old  enough  to  understand. 

A  LETTER  FROM   COUSIN   MITCHELL^   WITH   PRESENTS. 

I  remember  a  big  letter  came  to  father  and  was 
told  later  it  was  from  Cousin  Mitchell,  telling  father 
if  he  was  doing  well  to  remain  where  he  was  for 
the  present.  And  on  the  return  of  the  little  schooner 
which  took  the  people  to  Green  Bay  father  received 
a  large  barrel  of  presents  for  all  our  family  from 
Cousin  Mitchell  and  his  wife.  Dress  and  shoes  for 
mother,  pretty  little  red  top  boots  for  all  our  boys, 
with  little  blue  jackets  and  caps  for  them  and  many 
other  things  which  brought  joy  to  their  hearts  to  be 
remembered  by  those  so  far  away.  Our  boys  were 
great  favorites  with  the  Mitchells  and  used  to  be 
with  them  so  much  at  Mackinac  Island.    My  father 


16  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

also  had  an  uncle  living  in  Green  Bay,  Daniel  Whit- 
ney, among  the  first  white  settlers  of  the  place.  His 
descendants  are  still  living  there.  Cousin  William 
Mitchell  lived  there  many  years.  Before  passing 
from  this  life  he  was  head  keeper  of  Tailpoint  Light 
House,  twenty-two  years  at  Green  Bay. 

I  remember  one  very  nice  neighbor  we  had  at 
this  time.  Slocomb  was  his  name.  Mother  dressed 
the  boys  up  in  their  new  clothes,  sent  to  them  from 
Green  Bay,  and  I  was  also  dressed  in  my  little  red 
dress  and  shoes,  then  "we  were  all  taken  over  to  see 
Mrs.  Slocomb  and  from  there  my  brothers  took  me 
over  to  see  the  vessel  being  built.  I  can  remember 
how  large  it  looked,  it  seemed  so  high  up  over  us. 
The  ship  was  to  be  finished  and  launched  some  time 
in  September,  then  the  Slocomb  family  were  to  move 
away  to  Milwaukee  to  make  their  future  home. 
They  had  only  one  son,  a  boy  about  seven.  When 
he  reached  the  age  of  sixteen  he  was  drowned  at 
Milwaukee,  which  was  a  sad  blow  to  those  fond 
parents. 

While  more  people  were  coming  as  more  help 
was  needed  to  finish  the  ship,  all  was  busy  bustle 
among  the  neighbors  for  there  was  to  be  a  great 
gathering  to  watch  the  launching  of  the  ship.  Soon 
another  family  came,  old  friends  of  my  mother's, 
a  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Courchane.  The  man  had  come 
from  Montreal,  Canada,  to  Mackinac  Island  a  few 
years  before  and  there  met  and  married  pretty  Miss 
Abbie  Williams.  Aunt  Abbie  we  children  always 
called  her.  Mother  was  so  happy  to  have  her  friend 
with  her.     They  had  three  little  girls.     Mr.  Cour- 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  17 

chane  was  a  ship  carpenter  by  trade  and  came  to 
help  finish  the  vessel.  They  were  very  kind  neigh- 
bors to  us.  Their  little  girls'  names  were  Lucy, 
Emmeline  and  Margarette.  They  lived  just  a  few 
steps  from  our  house;  we  children  were  all  very 
happy  together.  My  eldest  brother  Lewis  was  thir- 
teen, the  next,  Anthony,  or  Toney,  was  ten;  the 
next,  Charles,  was  seven.  I  remember  their  little 
red  top  boots ;  I  would  put  them  on  and  walk  about 
the  floor,  which  pleased  them  so  much  to  see  the  lit- 
tle sister  in  her  cute  baby  ways. 

THE   OLD   RED    CRADLE. 

They  would  put  me  into  the  old-fashioned,  low> 
red  cradle  which  father  made  large  enough  for  us  all 
to  crowd  into.  There  they  would  rock  and  sing  the 
old  French  ballads  mother  had  taught  them,  some- 
times rocking  so  hard  we  would  all  be  spilled  out  on 
the  floor;  and  that  floor!  I  remember  it  now,  so 
white  and  clean  with  mother  sitting  near  in  her 
sewing  chair,  sewing  and  joining  in  the  singing. 
Then  pretty  Aunt  Abbie  coming  in;  she  always 
looked  to  me  like  a  picture,  with  her  great  dark  eyes 
and  black  hair  braided  so  smoothly  and  pretty  red 
cheeks  with  white  teeth  just  showing  between  red 
lips.  She,  too,  would  join  in  the  singing,  which  is 
pleasant  to  remember. 

SAVED  BY   MY  BROTHER  FROM   DROWNING. 

I  remember  distinctly  of  falling  into  the  water. 
At  the  noon  hour  father  sent  my  three  brothers  out 
in  our  little  boat,  just  a  few  rods  from  shore,  to 


18  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

bring  a  jug  of  fresh  water  for  the  dinner.  They 
took  me  with  them  and  in  some  way  I  fell  over- 
board. Father  and  mother,  with  other  neighbors, 
stood  on  the  shore  and  saw  it  all.  They  had  no  boat 
to  come  to  us  and  our  boys  were  so  frightened  they 
knew  not  what  to  do.  Father  shouted  for  one  of 
them  to  dive  after  me,  which  brother  Toney  did.  I 
could  hear  little  brother  Charley  crying  as  I  lay  at 
the  bottom  of  the  lake.  I  remember  coming  to  the 
top,  struggling,  and  going  down  again.  At  last  I 
lay  quiet  on  the  bottom.  I  could  see  the  sun  shining 
through  the  water  as  the  great  bubbles  of  air  went 
from  my  mouth  to  the  top.  Brother  Toney  being  an 
excellent  swimmer  and  diver,  dove  down  into  the 
deep  water,  grasping  me  in  his  strong  arms,  bring- 
ing me  to  the  surface,  where  we  both  were  taken 
into  the  boat  and  soon  rowed  to  shore.  There  my 
mother  took  me  in  her  arms  and  ran  to  the  house, 
with  others  following,  doing  all  they  could  to  restore 
me.  After  a  little  time  I  was  able  to  sit  up.  Brother 
Toney  was  praised  by  all  for  his  brave  act,  but  the 
praise  was  nothing  to  him  in  comparison  to  the  joy 
he  felt  in  knowing  that  he  had  saved  his  little  sister's 
life.  Then  I  remember  crying  to  have  on  my  little 
red  flannel  dress.  Mother  said  to  me,  "If  you  stop 
crying  I  will  dry  the  dress  and  put  it  on  you."  I 
was  sick,  I  remember,  father  walking  the  floor  with 
me  in  his  arms,  singing,  "When  I  can  read  my  title 
clear  to  mansions  in  the  skies,"  that  being  one  of 
his  favorite  hymns.  I  was  rocked  in  the  cradle 
several  days ;  when  able  to  play  again  mother  made 
me  a  little  raspberry  pie  in  a  little  tin,  which  made 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  19 

me  a  happy  child.  Mother  often  said  she  could  re- 
call many  pleasures  as  well  as  sadness  in  that  sum- 
mer on  the  Httle  "Isle  of  St.  Helena." 

St.  Helena — dear  little  drop  in  the  sea.  How  can 
I  describe  it  as  I  saw  it  in  after  years  ?  I  called  there 
on  a  trip  down  the  lakes,  on  the  steamer  "Galena/* 
with  Captain  Steele  as  master.  We  steamed  into  a. 
pretty  little  basin  of  a  harbor  almost  surrounded  by 
green  trees.  The  sun  was  just  rising  out  from  the- 
water  in  the  far  distance,  the  sky  was  purple  orange 
and  pink.  As  I  looked  out  of  my  stateroom  window 
and  saw  before  me  the  beautiful  little  Isle  of  St.. 
Helena,  I  cannot  describe  my  feelings ;  a  few  of  the 
memories  of  my  childhood  days  came  back  to  me. 
My  little  brothers,  with  myself,  playing  along  the 
shore,  but  now  all  was  quiet  and  still.  I  had  heard 
father  and  mother  speak  about  it  so  many  times,  it 
seemed  as  though  I  saw  it  all  through  their  eyes. 
It  now  looked  to  me  like  a  lovely  little  toy.  The  wat- 
er so  clear  and  sparkling  in  the  morning  sunlight. 
The  dock  was  in  good  repair,  everything  seemed 
clean,  quiet  and  still.  Mr.  Newton's  house  I  recog- 
nized at  once,  it  being  the  largest.  The  little  harbor 
seemed  almost  a  perfect  horseshoe  in  shape,  the 
shore  all  around  was  covered  with  clean  white 
gravel,  the  trees  were  mixed  with  birch,  balsam, 
cedar,  pine  and  poplar.  The  island  is  much  greater 
in  length  than  breadth.  At  the  extreme  eastern 
point  a  lighthouse  is  now  erected.  The  red  beams 
from  is  tower  shine  far  out  to  guide  the  mariner  on 
his  way. 


20  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

Sweet,  dear,  little  Isle  of  the  sea ! 
The  grand  old  waves  shall  dash  upon  thy  shore, 
When  we  who  once  have  trod  thy  lovely  beach 
Shall  be  known  to  earth  no  more. 

LAUNCHING  OF  THE  SHIP  ELIZA  CAROLINE. 

Time  was  drawing  near  to  the  finishing  of  the 
good  ship  Eliza  Caroline.  The  hammers  could  be 
heard  from  early  dawn  till  dark.  Seams  were  being 
calked,  there  was  painting  and  oiling  going  on  from 
day  to  day.  Many  were  gathering  from  near  and 
far  to  watch  the  process  of  launching  the  ship.  The 
little  village  was  bustling  with  people.  Every  home 
was  full,  for  friends  had  come  to  stay  a  week.  My 
parents  told  me  afterwards  the  launching  was  a 
grand  success.  The  sails  and  all  ropes  and  rigging 
had  come  from  Buffalo,  N.  Y.  The  trial  trip  was 
to  Mackinac  Island  and  return  and  nearly  all  the 
people  in  the  little  town  took  passage. 

The  time  had  come  for  partings  and  sad  fare- 
wells of  old  neighbors,  for  now  nearly  all  must  scat- 
ter to  other  parts.  My  father  was  sent  for  from 
Manistique.  A  Mr.  Frankle  had  settled  there  and 
put  in  a  mill.  He  was  an  old  friend  of  my  father's, 
coming  from  Chegrin  Falls,  Ohio.  Offering  good 
pay,  father  concluded  to  accept,  and  we  prepared  to 
move  at  once.  The  schooner  Nancy,  also  owned  by 
the  Newton  Brothers,  was  to  take  us  to  our  destina- 
tion. 

FAREWELL  TO  ST.  HELENA. 

Cousin  David  Corps  was  anxious  to  do  some  fall 
fishing  at  a  place  called  Scott's  Point,  where  many 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  21 

families  had  come  from  Canada,  Lake  Huron  and 
other  parts.  Fish  were  very  near  the  shore  in  the 
fall  of  the  year  and  a  high  price  was  paid  for  fish, 
so  we  were  to  tarry  at  this  place  until  time  to  go  to 
Manistique. 

Sailors  were  superstitious  about  moving  cats 
from  place  to  place,  so  father  concluded  to  take  the 
family  in  our  own  little  boat,  the  ''Abbigal".  We  had 
cats,  dogs,  rabbits  and  sea  gulls  for  pets,  and  father 
would  not  leave  any  of  them  behind  us.  Our  goods 
were  all  loaded  on  the  "Nancy"  and  "Abbigal."  I 
remember  our  neighbors  comiilg  to  the  beach  to  see 
us  off.  Aunt  Abbie  took  me  in  her  arms ;  the  tears 
fell  fast  on  my  face.  I  thought  it  was  raining  and 
held  out  my  hand,  as  I  had  seen  father  do  to  catch 
the  drops,  but  no,  it  was  not  raining,  it  was  tears 
falling  from  our  dear  friend's  eyes.  When  father 
called  out  "all  aboard",  I  was  clasped  in  another 
tight  pressure  of  her  arms.  Then  father  took  me 
and  placed  me  in  the  boat,  where  brother  Charley 
and  I  were  wrapped  up  in  warm  blankets.  Our  boat 
was  pushed  off  by  the  men  with  a  "God  bless  you, 
Whitney,"  and  the  waving  of  hats  and  handkerchiefs 
and  with  our  sails  spread  to  the  breeze  we  sailed 
away  from  the  shore  out  upon  the  blue  waters  of 
Lake  Michigan. 

As  our  little  boat  glided  along  we  could  see  the 
forms  growing  dimmer  until  the  Island  itself  looked 
like  a  small  speck  upon  the  water.  Off  the  south- 
east of  us  were  other  islands  looming  up  out  of  the 
sea.  Father  told  us  afterward  how  afraid  the  two 
older  brothers  were,  thinking  it  was  whales  coming 


22  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

after  us,  as  they  had  heard  about  whales  in  the  ocean. 
Little  Charley  and  I  were  fast  asleep  in  our  warm 
little  nest  of  bedding.  Life  for  us  had  no  cares  or 
sorrows.  Our  baby  eyes  saw  nothing  but  beauty  in 
all  things.  All  I  remember  of  our  landing  was  see- 
ing many  strange  faces  of  men,  women  and  children. 
Mother  said  afterward  I  looked  everywhere  calling 
"Aunt  Abbie",  and  cried  when  I  could  not  find  her 
and  Baby  Margarette.  There  were  two  sweet  little 
babies  among  the  people,  which  satisfied  me  as  I 
was  so  very  fond  of  them.  While  on  our  way  we 
had  landed  at  Mentopayma,  where  we  ate  our  luncH 
and  fed  our  pets.  Father  climbed  to  the  tops  of  the 
high  hills  and  could  see  vessels  and  many  steamboats 
passing  up  and  down  the  straits.  While  there  we 
found  a  large  cat  which  we  took  with  us,  he  being 
quite  content  to  be  taken  with  our  other  pets.  Father 
gave  us  animals  as  pets  to  care  for  and  we  were 
taught  to  be  kind  to  them. 

The  time  had  now  come  when  the  people  of  this 
little  settlement  were  to  pack  and  go  to  their  winter 
homes.  They  were  to  leave  all  their  fishing  outfits 
locked  in  their  buildings  until  they  came  again  an- 
other year.  The  vessel  "Nancy",  which  made  her 
weekly  trips  along  the  north  shore  to  Mackinac 
Island  and  St.  Helena,  lay  at  anchor  waiting  for  her 
precious  human  freight.  The  women  and  children 
were  taken  first,  then  the  men  with  their  dogs  were 
put  on  board.  Our  family,  with  one  more,  stood 
upon  the  shore  to  wave  them  adieu ;  white  sails  were 
spread  to  the  breeze  and  they  sailed  away  to  their 
far-away  homes  for  the  winter. 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  23 

DEATH  OF  MR.  MCWILLIAMS. 

The  family  that  remained  were  an  old  couple 
with  a  young  son  of  seventeen  years.  The  old 
couple  felt  the  journey  too  long  for  them  to  take  so 
preferred  to  remain  all  winter.  Father  and  mother 
tried  hard  to  persuade  them  not  to  remain,  but  go 
home,  but  they  would  not  go  so  they  prepared  to 
pass  the  winter  at  a  place  called  Birch  Point,  a  cold, 
bleak  shore,  where  the  foot  of  a  white  man  seldom 
ever  came  in  winter  at  that  time  and  very  seldom 
the  Indian  hunters  except  on  their  hunting  expe- 
ditions. Our  goods  had  been  sent  on  to  Manistique 
and  we  were  to  follow  in  a  few  days  in  our  boat. 
Just  before  we  left  father  took  us  all  down  the 
shore  to  see  the  old  couple  that  were  to  remain 
all  winter  and  try  to  persuade  them  to  come  with 
us  to  Manistique.  The  name  of  this  family  was 
McWilliams.  We  found  the  old  gentleman  very 
sick.  Mother  told  me  afterwards  we  were  with 
them  two  weeks.  The  old  man  died.  Father 
made  the  casket.  We  buried  him  on  that  lonely 
shore  in  a  quiet  little  nook  where  he  loved  so 
much  to  sit  and  watch  the  waves  roll  in  upon  the 
white  sandy  beach.  Buried  him  where  the  blue 
sea  waves  might  chant  a  requiem  to  his  grave. 

Sing  on,  sad  waves,  your  sound  shall  toll 
A  solemn  requiem  to  the  soul 
Who  sleeps  so  peaceful  on  that  shore 
Till  time  shall  wake  to  sleep  no  more. 

My  people  tried  hard  to  have  the  mother  and 
son  go  with  us  but  nothing  could  induce  them  to 
leave  the  lonely  grave  of  their  loved  one.     Time 


24  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

was  passing,  father  was  anxious  to  reach  Manistique 
at  once.  They  told  me  it  was  a  great  sorrow  to 
leave  the  mother  and  son  alone,  and  to  make  it  more 
lonely  the  wolves  and  bears  were  so  numerous  we 
could  hear  the  howl  of  the  wolves  and  growls  of  the 
bears  just  as  soon  as  it  became  dark  every  night. 
They  would  sit  at  our  doors  and  snap  and  growl  at 
each  other.  They  were  so  hungry  we  could  hear 
their  teeth  snap  together.  John  McWilliams  picked 
briish  and  wood,  keeping  a  fire  around  his  father's 
grave  until  he  could  build  a  strong  fence  of  logs 
around  it. 

AGAIN  IN  OUR  BOAT  ON  LAKE  MICHIGAN. 

One  still,  cold  morning  in  November  our  boat 
was  prepared  and  we  started  to  Manistique,  ten 
miles  distant.  Charley  and  I  were  again  placed  in 
among  warm  blankets.  Our  little  puppies  of  the 
springtime  had  grown  to  be  great,  large  dogs  and 
watched  over  little  brother  and  me  like  two  faithful 
sentinels.  The  day  was  cold  and  still.  Father  and 
the  boys  rowed  while  mother  steered.  We  kept 
close  to  the  shore.  Little  brother  and  I  were  half 
asleep  most  of  the  time.  I  can  hear  my  father  even 
now  singing  his  old  hymns,  "Rock  of  Ages"  and  the 
"Evergreen  Shore".  Many  times  I  imagine  I  can 
hear  the  sweet  music  of  his  voice.  Mother,  too, 
sang  her  French  glee  songs,  the  boys  joining  with 
her.  French  was  our  mother's  language.  Father 
could  not  speak  it,  but  understood  nearly  everything. 
French  and  Indian  were  the  languages  spoken  by 
almost  everybody  in  those  days  around  the  western 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  Ty 

islands  and  shores.  The  men  that  came  from  east- 
ern homes  soon  learned  to  speak  the  language  of 
both  French  and  Indian  as  it  was  necessary  to  carry- 
on  their  trade. 

ARRIVING  AT  MANISTIQUE. 

As  we  neared  the  shore  Mr.  Frankle  and  his 
men  stood  ready  to  meet  us  and  catching  hold  of 
our  boat  we  were  landed  safely  out  on  the  dry  land. 
Our  house  was  all  warmed  with  a  nice  fire  burning 
in  the  great  stone  fireplace.  Lights  were  lighted 
and  supper  was  soon  ready  for  us  all.  Beds  were 
put  up  and  soon  we  felt  we  were  at  home. 

Mr.  Frankle  had  some  friends  visiting  him  from 
York  State  who  had  delayed  their  going  home 
until  they  had  seen  my  mother  in  regard  to  prepar- 
ing some  sturgeon  for  them.  Sturgeon  were  so 
plentiful  in  the  river  they  could  be  pulled  out  with  a 
gaff  hook.  Mother  contracted  with  them  for  several 
tons  of  smoked  sturgeon.  The  Indians  from  their 
village,  three  miles  distant,  agreeing  to  catch 
the  sturgeon,  the  fish  were  prepared  and  smoked, 
but  the  season  closed  too  early  to  ship  them  that 
fall,  so  they  had  to  be  packed  and  kept  over  until  the 
following  spring  for  shipment  to  New  York. 

The  river  was  so  full  of  suckers  that  the  mill  had 
to  shut  down  many  times  while  the  men  scooped 
the  fish  out  with  a  large  scoop-net  and  loaded 
wagons  with  them,  which  were  hauled  a  distance 
down  the  beach  and  piled  upon  the  sand. 

At  night  the  bears,  wolves  and  foxes  would  come 
to  that  pile  of  fish,  making  night  hideous  with  their 


26  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

barks  and  growls.  None  of  us  dared  go  out  doors 
after  night  came.  We  lived  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  river  from  Mr.  Frankle's  mill.  Father  had 
to  cross  the  river  every  morning  many  times.  Bears 
were  swimming  across  the  river  and  we  children 
used  to  watch  them  from  our  windows.  The  wolves 
would  come  to  our  large  smokehouse  at  night  and 
take  the  smoked  sturgeon,  growling  and  snarling 
around  our  windows.  Our  boys  were  busy  days  and 
got  their  lessons  in  the  evening. 

THE  OLD  GRANDPA  AND  BOB  COMING  TO  LIVE  WITH  US. 

Mother  had  a  cousin  who  was  an  old  man  of 
eighty.  He  had  worked  for  the  Hudson  Bay  and 
Great  American  Fur  Companies  of  John  Jacob 
Astor,  carrying  great  loads  of  provisions  to  the  trap- 
pers all  through  the  Lake  Superior  country,  then 
taking  the  loads  of  fur  back  to  market  from  the 
trappers'  camps.  He  being  now  too  old  to  work, 
and  without  a  home,  my  father  feeling  sorry  gave 
him  a  home  with  us.  He  was  so  grateful  and  happy 
he  could  scarcely  express  his  gratitude,  speaking 
very  little  English  and  that  very  broken.  French, 
Spanish  and  Indian  he  spoke  fluently.  He  was 
born  in  Canada  of  French  and  Spanish  parents.  His 
mother  and  my  mother's  mother  were  sisters.  His 
name  was  Bertemau  Mazoka.  The  trappers  called 
him  Magazau,  meaning  "store"  in  English,  as  with 
his  two  dogs,  Bob  and  Maje,  he  carried  a  regular 
store  for  the  trappers.  One  dog,  Maje,  had  died. 
Bob,  the  other,  was  eighteen  years  old,  and  insepar- 
able from  the  old  grandpa,  as  we  children  were 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  27 

taught  to  call  him.  He  loved  to  have  us  call  him 
grandpa.  He  was  very  kind  and  patient  with  us, 
never  tiring  of  doing  something  for  our  comfort. 

OLD  DOG  BOB. 

But  Bob,  how  can  I  describe  him,  the  old,  pa- 
tient, faithful  dog!  He  was  large  and  powerful, 
dark  brown  with  darker  stripes  in  color,  part  bull 
in  breed,  but  just  as  gentle  and  kind  in  disposition 
as  possible.  He  had  pulled  the  heavy  loads  so  long 
he  was  almost  blind,  teeth  almost  gone  and  rheu- 
matism so  bad  it  was  hard  for  him  to  get  upon  his 
feet  when  he  laid  down.  When  grandpa  came 
bringing  Bob  he  had  said  in  his  broken  English, 
"Mr.  Whitney  you  take  me,  you  take  Bob  too.  Me 
cant'  stay  if  Bob  no  stay."  The  old  dog  seemed 
to  know  what  his  master  was  saying,  for  he  came 
close  to  him  and  looked  straight  into  father's  face. 
Then  father  said,  "Yes,  Bob  can  stay  too."  He 
tried  to  show  his  delight  with  his  master  by  jump- 
ing about.  It  would  be  hard  to  tell  which  of  us  Bob 
loved  the  best.  I  can  see  him  now  sitting  in  some 
out-of-the-way  corner  watching  us  with  his  great, 
almost  human  eyes.  He  had  not  always  been  kindly 
treated.  He  seemed  to  be  so  afraid  to  be  in  any- 
body's way,  and  when  he  saw  us  petting  the  other 
two  dogs  he  would  slink  away  with  head  down  and 
look  so  dejected.  The  young  dogs,  too,  knew  he 
was  a  stranger  and  growled  at  him  and  bossed  him 
about.  Then  poor  old  Bob  would  go  back  of  the 
house  and  cry  and  whine  so  pitifully.  At  last  father 
could  stand  it  no  longer  and  gave  the  order  Bob 


28  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

must  not  be  annoyed  any  more  and  must  have  a  bed 
and  lay  behind  the  stove  in  the  big  corner,  and  that 
no  one  was  ever  to  speak  a  cross  word  or  strike  Bob. 
Grandpa  cried  with  delight. 

bob's  new  master. 

Sometimes  Bob  could  not  get  up  alone,  then 
father  would  lift  him  up  and  rub  his  neck  where  the 
collar  had  worn  it  sore  on  his  long  pulls.  He  would 
lick  father's  hand  and  look  into  his  face  so  pitiful 
it  made  us  all  feel  sorry  to  see  him  suffer.  Very 
soon  Bob  began  not  to  notice  his  master  very  much, 
but  would  try  to  go  fast  to  meet  father  when  he 
came  into  the  house,  and  when  he  could  not  get  up 
father  would  go  to  him,  talk  and  rub  him.  The  dog 
seemed  to  understand  the  kindness.  When  grandpa 
saw  Bob  cared  more  for  father  than  for  himself  he 
cried  like  a  little  child.  After  awhile  he  said,  ''No 
wonder  Bob  love  you,  you  so  good  to  him,  you  so 
good  to  me,  me  love  you  too.  Me  now  give  you 
Bob.  You  keep  Bob  for  yourself  till  he  die."  Then 
the  tears  fell  fast  for  a  time.  After  that  Bob 
seemed  to  know  he  had  a  new  master  and  seemed 
content.  With  care  Bob  improved  and  got  about 
so  much  smarter.  Father  had  to  be  away  all  day 
to  his  work.  At  night  when  he  came  home  Charley, 
Bob  and  I  were  always  at  the  door  to  meet  him. 
Sometimes  in  the  winter  evenings  when  grandpa 
would  be  telling  us  his  stories  and  singing  to  us 
his  songs  Charley  and  I  would  fall  fast  asleep 
curled  up  on  the  rug  with  Bob. 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  29 

DEATH   OF   MRS.    MCWILLIAMS. 

One  day  mother  was  very  sick  in  bed  with  neu- 
ralgia. How  gloomy  and  lonely  the  house  seemed 
to  us  children,  we  missed  her  so.  Grandpa  was 
caring  for  us  children  and  doing  the  house  work 
as  best  he  could.  Then  mother  was  better  and  able 
to  sit  up  trying  to  sew,  saying  she  could  not  afford 
to  be  idle.  Not  long  after  this  one  day,  I  know  it 
was  Sunday,  we  were  dressed  in  our  Sunday  suits, 
father  was  reading  to  us,  a  knock  came  on  the  door, 
the  latch  was  lifted,  the  door  opened  and  John  Mc- 
Williams  almost  fell  into  the  room,  saying,  "Come 
both  of  you,  my  mother  is  dead."  Then  he  sank 
into  a  chair  and  cried  as  if  his  heart  would  break. 
Mother  arose  from  her  easy  chair  saying  "Come 
Walter,  we  must  go."  Father  tried  to  have  her  not 
go,  telling  her  she  was  not  able  to  go,  she  ought  to 
be  in  bed  as  her  face  was  still  badly  swoolen.  The 
snow  being  deep  and  it  was  very  cold.  Neither 
father,  grandpa,  nor  we  crying  children  could  stop 
her  going.  She  was  dressed  in  a  short  time  and 
tried  to  have  poor  John  eat.  He  could  not  eat,  say- 
ing he  must  go  right  back  to  his  dead  mother.  He 
left  us  and  all  was  now  commotion.  Father  and 
mother  were  now  both  going  away  into  the  cold, 
deep  snow  and  leave  us  children  with  grandpa. 

STARTING  ON  THEIR  PERILOUS  TRIP. 

I  remember  hearing  father  tell  him  over  and 
over  again  to  be  careful,  which  he  promised  by 
crossing  himself ;  being  a  Catholic  he  took  that  way 
to  express  himself  and  let  father  know  he  meant  to 


30  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

be  faithful.  Bob  was  also  told  to  watch  over  us 
children,  which  he  understood.  At  last  they  were 
ready  to  start,  all  bundled  up  in  heavy,  warm  cloth- 
ing. We  two  smaller  children  were  crying  and 
hanging  on  to  them  when  mother  said,  "Now  lis- 
ten children,  be  good  and  mind  all  that  grandpa  tells 
you.  Don't  you  know  poor  John  has  no  one  with  him, 
his  mother  is  dead?"  We  were  quiet,  but  sorrow- 
ful. Oh,  how  little  we  children  could  realize  or 
understand  the  awful,  dangerous  trip  our  father  and 
mother  were  about  to  undertake !  Grandpa  realized 
it  and  tried  so  hard  to  keep  them  from  going.  The 
snow  was  very  deep,  weather  extremely  cold,  with 
bears  and  wolves  to  be  encountered  at  every  step  as 
soon  as  darkness  came  on. 

THEIR  STORY  OF  THEIR  JOURNEY  AS  THEY  TOLD  IT  TO 
ME  IN  AFTER  YEARS. 

"We  traveled  along  the  beach  inside  the  ice 
banks,  as  snow  was  not  quite  so  deep  there  and  we 
felt  safer  from  wolves.  It  was  noon  when  we  left 
home.  We  had  about  fifteen  miles  to  go,  I  think,  to 
reach  Birch  Point.  The  wind  was  keen  and  cut  like 
a  knife  in  our  faces.  I  made  your  mother  walk 
right  behind  me,  knowing  she  could  never  stand 
the  sharp  wind.  About  two  o'clock  it  began  to  snow 
so  hard  it  was  blinding  in  our  faces.  We  kept  on, 
and  after  awhile  I  saw  your  mother  began  to  lag 
and  could  not  keep  up  even  when  I  walked  slowly. 
It  was  already  getting  dark,  as  the  days  were  so 
short  At  last  she  said,  'Walter,  I  am  afraid  I  can't 
keep  up  any  longer.'    I  said  to  her,  *Yes,  you  must 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  31 

keep  up,  we  will  sit  and  rest  a  little  while,  then  you 
can  walk  better.'  While  we  sat  there  we  heard  the 
bark  of  a  wolf  not  far  off,  and  well  we  knew  what 
that  sound  meant.  I  knew  then  that  our  only  hope 
was  to  reach  a  small  shanty  about  a  mile  and  a  half 
further  on.  I  said,  'Come  mother,  we  must  get  to 
the  little  shanty,  there  we'll  Stay  till  morning.'  This 
gave  her  new  courage,  and  we  pressed  on  through 
the  blinding  storm,  snow  being  deeper  at  every  step. 
I  took  her  arm  and  we  got  on  quite  fast  for  a  time. 
We  still  had  over  a  half  mile  to  go  before  we  reached 
the  shanty  and  I  saw  it  was  now  a  great  effort  for 
her  to  walk.  She  now  began  to  worry  about  the 
children.  I  told  her  grandpa  would  be  faithful  and 
take  good  care  of  them  and  that  we  must  hurry  and 
try  to  reach  the  little  shanty.  I  did  not  tell  her  of 
my  fears,  there  being  a  possibility  that  it  might  be 
gone,  taken  away  for  its  lumber  by  some  fishermen 
along  the  shore  in  the  fall.  The  snow  became  so 
deep  it  was  hard  to  travel,  and  I  could  see  she  was 
getting  weaker  all  the  time.  All  at  once  the  bark- 
ing of  wolves  began  first  here  then  there,  in  every 
direction  except  on  the  lake  side.  We  kept  very 
close  to  the  ice  banks.  I  saw  your  mother  could 
keep  up  no  longer.  The  wolves  were  gathering  from 
all  sides  and  I  realized  our  only  hope  was  the  little 
shanty,  which  I  prayed  might  be  left  standing  and 
that  we  might  reach  it  in  time.  I  threw  down  my 
little  bag  of  tools,  hammer,  saw  and  gun.  I  took 
you  mother  on  my  back  and  staggered  along 
through  the  storm.  It  was  almost  dark  and  I  feared 
we  might  miss  the  shanty  even  if  it  was  still  there.. 


32  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

The  howls  and  barks  of  the  wolves  were  very  near 
us  now  and  it  was  terrible.  I  knew  my  own 
strength  could  not  hold  much  longer.  I  said,  *now 
keep  a  sharp  lookout  for  the  shanty.'  I  heard  the 
growls  and  snarls  of  the  wolves  and  could  almost 
feel  their  hot  breath  upon  us.  I  thought  of  you, 
my  children,  and  that  thought  kept  me  up.  At  last 
your  mother  said,  *Oh,  thank  God,  here  is  the  shan- 
ty!'  I  felt  her  grow  heavier  and  limp  and  knew  that 
she  had  fainted.  I  made  one  last  effort  and  reached 
the  door  none  too  soon,  the  wolves  were  right  at 
our  heels.  I  pushed  the  door  open  and  closed  it  as 
soon  as  possible,  letting  your  mother  drop  down 
upon  the  floor  until  I  could  get  the  door  safely  bar- 
red. The  snow  had  drifted  in  some  beside  the  door. 
I  took  some  snow  in  my  hand  and  rubbed  her  face 
with  it.  After  awhile  she  said,  Walter,  are  we 
safe?'  I  said,  'yes,  mother,  thank  God  we  are  safe 
for  awhile.'  I  left  her  and  began  to  look  for  a 
place  to  make  a  fire.  I  found  a  pretty  good  cook 
stove  with  a  good  pile  of  wood  near  which  the  fish- 
ermen had  left  for  anyone  who  might  be  in  need 
and  we  were  the  first  that  had  need  of  it.  I  used  my 
flint  and  soon  had  a  warm  fire.  I  also  found  a 
small  tin  lamp  full  of  fish  oil.  I  said,  'now  mother 
ive  are  all  right.  With  the  provisions  I  have  we 
will  soon  have  some  supper  and  warm  tea.'  I  took 
up  some  of  the  clean  snow  in  a  basin  and  put  it  to 
heat  on  the  stove,  where  it  was  soon  boiling.  I 
found  a  bench  for  your  mother  to  sit  on.  I  took 
off  most  of  her  wraps  and  soon  we  were  warm 
and  comfortable  eating  our  lunch  with  hot  tea.    Oh, 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  33 

the  howling  and  tearing  of  the  wolves  was  terrible 
to  hear.  They  would  scratch  on  the  door  and 
try  to  climb  upon  the  roof.  There  was  one  small 
window  near  the  door.  I  was  afraid  the  wolves 
would  break  it  in  their  jumping  about,  and  how  I 
did  wish  for  my  gun  that  I  had  to  throw  down 
with  the  tools  as  we  came.  There  were  two  large 
bunks  filled  with  balsam  boughs,  and  I  took  some 
of  our  wraps  and  made  a  bed  for  your  mother.  She 
was  soon  fast  asleep.  I  kept  a  good  fire,  and  about 
midnight  laid  down  beside  her,  and  in  spite  of  the 
howling  and  barking  of  the  wolves  I  was  soon 
fast  asleep.  At  break  of  day  all  was  quiet,  the 
wolves  had  gone  to  the  woods.  We  had  some  break- 
fast and  mother  felt  better.  I  left  her  and  went  to 
find  my  gun  and  other  things  I  had  left  in  the  snow. 
The  wolves  had  trampled  the  snow  all  down  about 
the  door  and  we  could  see  the  marks  of  their  claws 
on  the  door.  We  were  soon  started  on  our  way 
and  reached  the  little  deserted  settlement,  where  I 
took  two  boards  to  carry,  as  John  had  also  done,  as 
we  needed  the  lumber  to  make  a  coffin.  From  here 
we  found  better  walking,  a  straighter  beach.  We 
reached  John's  about  ii  o'clock.  We  found  him 
sitting  beside  his  dead  mother." 

BROTHER  ANTHONY   LOST  IN   THE   WOODS. 

With  us  children  at  home  we  too  had  our 
troubles.  I  cried  all  night  with  earache  and  poor  old 
grandpa  had  his  hands  full  to  take  care  of  us  all. 
He  was  up  all  night,  and  he  worried  about  father 
and  mother.    He  was  sure  they  were  frozen  to  death 


34  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

or  eaten  up  by  the  wolves.  And  to  make  it  still 
harder  for  him  brother  Toney  went  out  alone  up  the 
river  to  find  the  rabbit  traps  he  had  set  and  lost  his 
way  home.  When  he  did  not  come  back  at  dinner 
time  grandpa  was  almost  crazy,  but  would  not  let 
brother  Lewis  go  to  look  for  him,  fearing  he  too 
would  be  lost.  He  left  us  two  little  ones  with  Lewis 
while  he  ran  down  to  the  river  and  called  to  the 
men  at  work  in  the  mill.  At  first  he  could  not  make 
them  hear  him.  He  swung  his  arms  and  ran  up  and 
down,  and  at  last  they  saw  him  and  two  men  came 
over  on  a  raft,  our  boat,  the  only  one  there,  being 
on  our  side  of  the  river.  They  thought  something 
terrible  must  have  happened  grandpa.  In  his  im- 
perfect English  he  could  not  make  them  understand. 
They  came  to  the  house  and  Lewis  made  them  un- 
derstand Toney  was  lost  in  the  woods  and  told 
them  where  father  and  mother  had  gone.  We  were 
all  crying,  as  we  two  younger  ones  only  wanted  papa 
and  mamma.  I  remember  seeing  the  men  run  to  the 
boat,  cross  the  river,  and  soon  come  back  with  all 
the  men,  Mr.  Frankle,  with  the  rest,  all  starting  to 
the  woods.  Lewis  was  gathering  up  limbs  of  trees 
and  brush  wood  to  make  a  big  fire  at  night  to  guide 
the  men  home.  Grandpa  cried  and  wrung  his  hands, 
praying  and  crossing  himself  continually.  We  two 
little  ones  were  frightened,  not  knowing  just  what 
had  happened.  We  had  our  playthings  and  sat  in 
our  corner  behind  the  stove  crying  to  ourselves. 
The  men  had  taken  the  two  young  dogs  with  them. 
After  awhile  Mr.  Frankle  came  back  and  talked 
with  grandpa,  then  he  took  Bob  away  with  him. 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  35 

Then  we  began  to  cry  so  hard,  seeing  Bob  going  off. 
He  heard  us  and  ran  back  to  us  children,  licking 
our  faces  and  hands.  They  put  a  rope  on  Bob's 
neck  and  led  him  away.  Grandpa  did  all  he  could 
to  comfort  us,  made  the  tops  spin  and  rocked  my 
dolly  to  sleep  in  her  cradle,  and  ever  so  many  things 
to  please  us,  but  we  would  not  be  comforted.  Our 
Bob  was  gone,  and  we  wanted  him  to  come  back. 
At  last  Lewis  came  in  telling  us  Bob  was  coming 
soon  with  brother  Toney.  Charley  understood  and 
was  quiet.  I  was  put  into  my  cradle,  where  grandpa- 
rocked  me  to  sleep,  singing  to  me  one  of  his  French 
songs  I  loved  so  well  to  hear. 

I  have  a  confused  memory  of  hearing  dogs 
barking  and  of  being  carried  to  the  window  and 
seeing  a  big  fire  shining  far  out  over  the  snow  and 
river  and  the  men  coming  in  all  covered  with  snow, 
and  dear  old  Bob  bounding  to  greet  me  and  kissing 
my  face;  then  I  remembered  no  more.  But  when  I 
was  older  mother  told  me  all  about  the  hunting  and 
finding  of  brother  Anthony. 

mother's  story. 

"The  men  hunted  and  found  the  tracks,  but  he 
had  turned  and  circled  so  often  in  all  directions  they 
became  confused.  The  young  dogs  were  more  in- 
tent on  chasing  rabbits  and  other  small  game,  so 
nothing  could  be  done  with  the  young  dogs.  The 
men  knew  that  if  the  child  was  not  found  that  night 
he  would  be  eaten  by  wolves.  At  last  one  of  the 
men  said  to  Mr,  Frankle,  T  wonder  if  Bob  could 
find  him,'  Mr.  Frankle  came  at  once  and  took  Bob. 


36  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

As  soon  as  they  could  make  the  dog  understand 
what  they  wanted  him  to  do  he  started  on  the  hunt. 
They  let  him  smell  of  brother's  clothes  and  shoes. 
At  first  Bob  began  to  whine  and  tremble  and  lay 
down  at  their  feet  in  the  snow.  They  could  not 
speak  to  him  in  French,  which  was  the  language 
Bob  knew  best,  his  master  always  speaking  to  him 
in  French.  At  last  he  looked  up  in  their  faces  after 
smelling  of  the  shoes  and  began  to  bark.  He  started 
with  his  nose  to  the  ground.  At  first  the  young 
dogs  worried  him  by  bounding  and  jumping  over 
him.  They  wanted  him  to  play  with  them.  But 
Bob  had  something  more  important  for  him  to  do — 
a  human  life  to  save.  He  circled  and  seemed  con- 
fused, then  threw  his  head  up  in  the  air,  gave  sev- 
eral loud,  sharp  barks  and  looked  at  the  men  as 
much  as  to  say  follow  me.  He  left  them  far  be- 
hind, though  they  went  as  fast  as  they  could  go. 
It  was  growing  dark,  they  were  uneasy.  Soon 
Bob's  deep  voice  was  heard  barking  furiously.  He 
never  stopped  till  the  men  reached  him.  He  was 
standing  directly  over  brother,  who  was  lying  in 
the  snow.  Bob  had  scratched  the  snow  away  and 
partly  dragged  him  out.  At  first  the  men  thought 
Toney  was  dead.  He  was  just  exhausted  from 
walking  so  far  and  so  afraid  of  the  dark  and  the 
wolves.  The  men  carried  him  home,  reaching  there 
at  ten  o'clock  that  night  amid  the  howling  of  the 
wolves  that  followed  them  at  a  distance.''  Brother 
was  sick  in  bed  when  father  and  mother  came  home. 
They  were  gone  four  days. 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  37 

FATHER  AND  MOTHER  COMING  HOME. 

Father  had  made  the  casket  and  mother  made 
the  shroud.  They  buried  the  dear  old  lady  beside 
the  husband  she  loved  so  well.  Two  Indian  hunters 
came  that  way  on  their  return  from  liunting.  They 
helped  to  dig  the  grave  and  stayed  to  bring  mother 
home  on  their  sleds.  Mother  baked  and  cooked 
for  John,  as  they  could  not  persuade  him  to  come 
home  with  them  to  remain  until  spring.  Mr. 
Frankle  sent  two  men  to  see  if  father  and  mother 
were  safe  and  they  met  them  coming  with  the  In- 
dians. What  happy  children  we  all  were  to  see 
them  again.  Bob  was  wild  with  delight  to  see  father 
and  mother,  and  when  they  learned  how  Bob  had 
saved  brother's  life  there  was  nothing  too  good  for 
him.  Old  grandpa  was  so  glad  when  they  came 
home,  for  his  trials  were  great  with  us  four  child- 
ren. He  said  to  father  one  day  in  broken  English, 
"Oh,  Mr.  Whitney,  I  so  scare.  I  fraid  you  keel  me 
when  boy  lost  in  wood.  Bob  one  good  dog,  he  fine 
heme  quick.  Bob  worth  ten  thousand  dollar.  Me 
most  crazy  all  time  you  gone.  Baby  she  cry  all 
night.  Earache.  Charley  she  cut  he  finger.  Lewis 
he  burn  she's  hand.  Oh,  I  fraid  we  all  go  die 
sure !" 

My  mother  was  worried  about  John  McWilliams 
being  left  alone  so  far  from  any  neighbors.  The 
Indian  Chief  Ossawinamakee  sent  two  of  his  In- 
dians with  their  wives  and  papooses  to  live  near 
John  until  spring  came.  They  built  warm  wigwams 
covered  with  fur  pelts  of  bear  skins.    John  was  very 


38  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

sick  and  they  took  care  of  him.  When  John  came 
to  see  us  in  the  spring  he  told  us  his  story  how  it 
came  they  were  here  so  far  from  their  old  home. 
In  after  years  mother  told  it  to  me,  and  I  tell  it 
now,  as  near  as  possible,  as  John  told  it  to  her. 

John's  story. 

"My  people  were  well-to-do  people  with  a  com- 
fortable home  in  Canada  near  the  City  of  Toronto. 
My  brother,  being  seven  years  older  than  I,  had  a 
good  education,  went  to  the  city,  became  a  clerk  in 
a  bank,  got  into  bad  company,  forged  a  check  on  the 
bank  and  was  arrested  for  forgery.  Our  farm  and 
the  old  home  went  to  clear  him.  He  promised  father 
to  do  better.  We  heard  about  these  western  islands 
and  shores,  and  thinking  this  a  good  place  to  come 
with  my  brother  where  no  one  knew  of  our  disgrace, 
we  came,  bringing  fish  nets  and  a  boat.  We  fished 
all  summer,  doing  well,  but  as  fall  came  my  brother 
became  restless  and  discontented.  He  took  the  fish 
nets  and  boat  and  sold  them  all,  leaving  us  nothing, 
then  went  we  knew  not  where.  This  broke  my  old 
father's  heart  and  mother  soon  followed  him  to  the 
grave.  Now  I  am  left  alone  to  battle  with  the 
world,  but  I  shall  never  forget  your  kindness  to  me 
and  mine." 

After  working  all  summer  for  some  fishermen 
John  went  home  to  Toronto  to  live  with  an  uncle 
who  offered  him  a  home,  and  John  accepted  with 
a  grateful  heart. 

FIRST  VISIT  TO  THE  BIG  WHITE   HOUSE, 

Since  coming  to  Manistique  mother  and  we  two 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  39 

small  children  had  never  crossed  over  the  river  nor 
been  inside  the  big  white  house,  as  we  called  Mr. 
Frankle's  home.  One  morning  I  woke  and  found 
myself  in  a  strange  bed  and  a  strange  room.  I  called 
and  mother  came  to  me,  telling  me  we  were  in  the 
big  white  house  where  I  had  watched  the  lights 
so  many  times  in  the  windows.  She  took  me  into 
another  room.  A  lady  was  sitting  in  a  low  chair 
with  a  little  wee  baby  rolled  up  in  white  flannel  in 
her  lap.  A  little  baby  had  been  born  that  night  in 
the  rich  man's  home.  I  went  up  to  the  lady  asking 
to  see  the  dolly  baby.  She  said,  "Oh,  no,  it  is  not  a 
dolly,  it's  a  baby,"  but  to  me  it  was  a  dolly.  I  had 
my  own  rag  doll  in  my  arms  hugged  tight,  and 
every  little  while  I  would  toss  and  sing  to  her  in 
French.  The  beauty  of  the  room  was  something 
new  to  me;  soft  carpets  and  rugs  on  the  floor  that 
gave  no  sound  of  the  patter  of  my  feet  as  I  walked 
about.  The  walls  were  covered  with  soft  tinted 
paper  and  beautiful  pictures  hanging  everywhere, 
curtains  of  finest  lace  and  silk  at  the  windows.  I 
gazed  about  almost  holding  my  breath.  Everything 
seemed  so  still. 

Soon  a  door  opened  without  noise  and  a  little 
child  came  into  the  room.  She  looked  to  me  like  a 
little  angel  I  had  seen  the  picture  of,  blue  eyes 
and  golden  hair.  She  seemed  such  a  sweet  little 
flower  almost  too  frail  to  be  alive.  When  she  saw 
me  she  came  to  me,  holding  out  her  doll  for  me  to 
take.  I  drew  back,  as  her  doll  was  wax  and  opened 
and  shut  its  eyes.  It  was  almost  like  the  one  I  had 
at  home  put  away  in  its  box  which  had  been  given 


40  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

me  at  St.  Helena  by  Cousin  Mitchell.  I  had  not 
got  over  being  afraid  of  it  yet  because  it  moved  its 
eyes.  Mother  had  to  come  and  explain  to  them 
about  it.  The  little  girl  took  me  by  the  hand  and 
led  me  into  a  large  bedroom  where  her  mamma  lay 
among  white  pillows.  The  lady  reached  out  her 
hand  to  me,  smiling,  and  drew  me  up  to  her.  At 
first  I  could  say  nothing.  Then  as  her  sister  came  in 
with  the  baby  in  her  arms  I  said,  "Me  want  to  go 
home  and  see  Charley."  Mother  came  to  explain 
I  wanted  to  go  home  to  see  my  little  brother.  The 
lady  said,  "you  shall  see  them  this  evening,  I  shall 
send  and  have  them  come."  Then  I  told  her  I 
wanted  to  see  Bob  too.  She  said,  "Yes,  Bob  shall 
come."  I  was  more  content,  and  while  mother  held 
the  wee  baby  in  her  arms  I  sat  in  a  little  chair  and 
rocked  my  doll,  singing  to  it,  and  when  I  was  given 
my  bread  and  milk  for  supper  I  fed  my  doll  some, 
and  when  she  choked  I  patted  her  on  the  back  just 
like  Aunt  Abby  did  to  Baby  Margarette. 

REMINDERS   OF    HOME    FAR   AWAY. 

Soon  the  lamps  were  lighted  and  the  men  came 
in  to  supper.  The  young  lady,  Mr.  Frankle's  sister, 
had  gotten  the  supper  with  mother's  help.  I  remem- 
ber the  long  table  and  white  table  cloth.  The  men 
were  all  seated  at  the  table  when  Mr.  Frankle  came 
in  the  room  with  the  little  wee  baby  in  his  arms.  He 
took  the  baby  to  the  men  and  some  of  them  took  it 
in  their  arms  and  kissed  it,  tears  rolling  down  their 
faces.  Father  told  me  later  it  made  them  think  of 
home  and  their  own  little  ones,  for  most  of  them 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  41 

had  families  in  their  far  away  homes.  Mother  took 
the  baby  to  its  mother.  I  was  put  into  a  high  chair 
and  sat  near  the  head  of  the  table,  heads  were 
bowed  and  Mr.  Frankle  asked  a  blessing.  As  soon 
as  it  was  ended  I  said  "Amen"  and  made  the  sign 
of  the  cross,  just  as  grandpa  always  did.  When  I 
saw  them  smile  I  looked  serious  and  got  down,  tell- 
ing mother  I  wanted  to  go  home.  I  could  not  eat, 
but  fed  my  doll,  after  which  mother  took  me  in  her 
arms  and  rocked  me  to  sleep,  singing  one  of  her 
sweet  old  songs. 

A  LONGING  FOR  HOME. 

Next  morning  I  could  not  eat  any  breakfast, 
but  kept  calling  for  brother  Charley,  Bob  and 
grandpa.  Everything  was  so  still  and  silent  here  in 
the  big  house.  Oh  the  longing  in  a  child's  heart  for 
the  old  familiar  faces  and  home !  Child  that  I  was 
it  seemed  to  me  all  that  made  life  sweet  had  gone 
out  of  my  life.  I  grew  sick,  I  could  not  eat,  and  for 
several  days  lay  on  my  little  bed.  Little  Lilly  tried  to 
amuse  me  with  her  dolls  and  music  box,  but  my 
heart  was  longing  for  grandpa,  Charley  and  Bob. 
One  morning  father  came  and  took  me  up  and  car- 
ried me  into  another  room.  There  was  Charley  and 
Bob.  It  was  a  happy  meeting  with  us  all,  but  I  felt 
too  weak  to  play.  At  night  father  took  Bob  home 
and  left  Charley  with  us,  but  Charley,  too,  was  not 
happy,  he  could  not  whittle  his  sticks  or  spin  his 
top  like  he  could  at  home.  Mother,  too,  missed  her 
home.  Here  everything  was  silent,  and  still  all  were 
very  kind  to  us.    But  mother  missed  our  noise  and 


42  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

singing.  Little  Charley,  too,  began  to  droop.  At 
night  he  went  to  look  out  of  the  window,  and  when 
he  saw  the  lights  in  our  windows  at  home  across 
the  river  he  began  to  cry,  saying  to  mother,  "I  want 
to  go  home  to  grandpa."  Next  day  we  were  both 
sent  home,  and  grandpa  and  Bob  were  so  happy. 
Lewis  and  Toney,  too,  were  anxious  for  us  all  to  be 
home  again.  At  night  we  were  taken  again  to  the 
big  house,  as  mother  wanted  us  with  her.  We  three 
children  played  to  amuse  ourselves,  but  all  seemed 
so  quiet  to  Charley  and  me.  Charley  was  more  at 
home  now.  Miss  Harriet  let  him  spin  his  top  and 
whittle  in  the  kitchen.  After  about  two  weeks  mo- 
ther was  ready  to  go  home  and  we  were  a  happy 
family. 

HAPPY  HOME  LIFE. 

Life  went  on  very  happy  with  us  children,  our 
home  was  comfortable.  After  all  the  years  that 
have  passed  so  rapidly,  methinks  I  can  see  us  all 
as  we  were  then  around  our  pleasant  fireside  on 
many  of  those  winter  evenings.  Little  mittens  had 
to  be  made  for  our  hands.  Little  jackets  and  caps 
for  the  boys,  in  which  all  took  an  interest,  and 
grandpa,  too,  did  his  share.  He  made  little  fur 
suits  for  the  boys,  caps  and  all.  Father  would  read 
to  us  from  the  big  family  Bible  and  explain  to  us 
as  he  read.  Then  he  would  sing  the  hymns  he 
loved  so  well,  mother  joining  in.  Then  grandpa 
would  sing  with  mother  their  French  glee  songs, 
while  us  children  would  join  in.  Then  grandpa 
would  rock  me  in  the  low  cradle  and  the  boys  grew 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  43 

impatient  because  it  kept  the  fur  suits  from  being 
made  so  fast.  Then  old  grandpa  would  tell  us  stories 
of  his  travels,  and  when  he  told  us  about  them  we 
forgot  all  about  fur  suits,  for  we  loved  to  listen 
to  his  old  French  and  Spanish  songs  and  stories. 
He  would  tell  us  of  his  travels  and  hardships. 

bob's  sympathy. 

Bob  seemed  almost  to  understand,  as  he  would 
always  come  close  to  us  and  listen,  looking  at  us 
with  his  great,  kind  eyes.  Many  times  grandpa 
would  cry  as  he  related  some  of  his  most  sorrowful 
experiences,  of  how  some  of  his  comrades  had  per- 
ished from  cold  and  hunger,  or  of  being  drowned  in 
crossing  the  great  rivers.  Then  he  would  cover 
his  face  with  his  hands  as  if  to  shut  out  the  sight 
of  some  loved  one's  suffering.  Old  Bob  would 
whine  and  lick  his  old  master's  face  and  hands 
as  if  trying  to  comfort  him,  then  run  to  father  and 
whine.  Father  would  go  over  to  grandpa  and  say, 
^*Now  don't  cry  any  more,  all  that  is  past.  You 
have  not  any  more  such  trials  to  pass  through. 
Now  be  happy  with  us."  It  always  cheered  him  and 
soon  he  would  be  at  work  again.  We  children  al- 
ways sympathized  with  him,  often  shedding  tears 
when  he  told  his  sorrowful  tales  and  laughing  with 
^lee  at  some  of  his  jolly  ones.  Sometimes  mother 
would  say,  'T  do  wish  you  would  not  tell  the  child- 
ren so  many  sorrowful  stories.  It  makes  them  sad 
to  hear  them."  Then  he  would  say,  "Me  can't  help 
it.  Me  sad  too  sometimes."  The  fur  suits  were 
finished  and  taken  over  to  the  big  house  for  Mrs. 


44  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

Frankle  to  see  them,  grandpa  being  a  great  fav- 
orite with  her. 

INDIAN    VILLAGE    AND    CHIEF    OSSAWINAMAKEE. 

The  Indian  village  was  about  three  miles  distant 
back  from  the  shore  or  river's  mouth.  There  the  In- 
dians had  a  large  settlement  of  about  seven  hundred 
people  in  all  at  that  time.  At  one  time  their  village 
had  contained  nearly  three  thousand.  Since  all 
tribes  had  been  at  peace  many  of  their  Braves  had 
gone  among  other  tribes  to  visit  and  hunt.  This 
tribe  was  of  the  Ottawas,  mixed  with  the  Ojibewas 
or  Chippewas.  In  times  of  war  each  had  been  a 
powerful  nation.  Most  of  these  had  lived  in  the 
Lake  Superior  region.  After  peace  was  declared 
part  of  the  tribe  wandered  away  to  the  southward 
seeking  new  hunting  grounds.  The  present  Chief's 
father  had  been  a  great  warrior  as  well  as  his  father 
before  him.  Chief  Ossawinamakee  (Big  Thunder), 
was  a  peaceful  man,  ruling  his  people  with  great 
kindness.  He  was  a  noble  looking  man  of  fine  per- 
sonal appearance. 

THE  LAKE  OF  ENCHANTMENT. 

The  beautiful  lake  where  the  village  was  situ- 
ated the  chief's  father  had  claimed  to  have  found  in 
his  younger  days  when  out  on  a  hunting  tour.  The 
tribe  claimed  the  lake  was  enchanted.  Its  fish  and 
wild  fowl,  ducks  and  geese  and  other  game  were 
not  to  be  disturbed  by  the  hunters,  but  left  for  "the 
Indian  Maiden"  who  strolled  by  its  shores,  and  for 
her  lover  that  was  to  come  back  and  take  her  to 
the  happy  hunting  grounds.    The  village  was  situ- 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  45 

ated  beside  this  beautiful  lake,  called  by  the  tribe 
*The  Lake  of  Enchantment,"  or  where  "The  Spirit 
of  Peace  Always  Lived."  And,  truly,  when  seen 
in  its  quiet  and  wild  beauty  it  was  not  hard  to  be- 
lieve. The  legend  runs  that  on  moonlight  nights 
the  form  of  an  Indian  maiden  could  be  seen  wan- 
dering along  its  quiet  shores  waiting  for  her  lover 
to  come  from  the  happy  hunting  grounds  to  meet 
her.  In  times  of  war  among  the  different  tribes,  it 
was  told,  a  beautiful  Indian  maiden  of  the  Ottawas 
had  a  lover  of  the  Huron  tribe.  The  tribes  were  at 
war.  The  lover  was  taken  prisoner  and  condemned 
to  die,  to  burn  at  the  stake.  When  the  awful  deed 
was  taking  place  the  Indian  maiden  was  seen  to 
take  her  flight  southward.  Braves  were  sent  to 
bring  her  back.  She  forever  eluded  them  and  at 
last  disappeared  from  their  sight.  When  this  lake 
was  discovered  many  years  afterwards  it  was  be- 
lieved the  shadowy  maiden  seen  was  the  same  that 
had  disappeared  so  long  ago,  and  wandered  beside 
this  beautiful  water  waiting  for  her  lover  to  join  her. 
Wild  deer  came  to  drink  of  its  waters,  animals  and 
fowls  had  no  fear  of  the  red  man.  It  was  indeed 
an  enchanted  place. 

THE    chief's   daughter,    "sTAR  OF   THE    MORNING." 

The  Chief's  daughter  was  a  beautiful  Indian 
maiden.  She  was  an  only  child.  Her  mother  died 
when  she  was  quite  young.  Her  aunt,  her  mother's 
sister,  had  taken  the  place  of  a  mother  to  her.  The 
Chief,  her  father,  was  very  proud  of  her  and  greatly 
attached  to  her.     She  was  of  medium  height,  oval 


46  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

face  and  clear  olive  skin  with  red  cheeks  and  lips, 
her  eyes  were  large  and  dark  with  nearly  always  a 
sad  look  in  them.  Her  teeth  were  like  two  rows  of 
small  white  pearls,  small  hands  and  feet,  she  was  a 
royal  princess  dearly  loved  by  the  whole  tribe.  Her 
Indian  name  was  Wa-bun-an-nung  (the  Morning 
Star.)  We  always  called  her  Mary.  She  was  gentle 
in  her  manner  and  could  sew  very  nicely,  being  al- 
ways busy  with  her  bead  work  and  quills,  making 
many  pretty  little  boxes  from  the  birch  bark  and  or- 
namenting them  with  bright  colored  porcupine 
quills  which  the  Indian  women  colored  in  bright, 
gay  colors.  Her  father  had  always  taken  her  with 
him  on  his  long  trips  to  Canada  and  the  Sault,  also 
to  Green  Bay  on  many  of  his  hunting  expeditions. 
She  could  paddle  her  canoe  as  swift  as  any  of  the 
braves  in  her  tribe. 

THE  CHIEF  AND   HIS  DAUGHTER  VISITING  US. 

To  me  Mary  seemed  like  some  bright  being 
from  another  world.  Her  voice  was  soft  and  sweet. 
She  always  came  to  our  home  with  her  father,  the 
chief.  Then  she  would  take  me  in  her  arms,  calling 
me  her  little  white  "papoose."  She  would  put  me 
in  my  cradle,  rocking  and  singing  me  to  sleep  with 
her  quiet,  soft  voice.  Many  were  the  strings  of 
beads  and  deer  skin  moccasins  she  gave  me.  She 
made  me  some  dolls  and  put  pretty  dresses  on  them. 
She  was  always  doing  something  nice  for  us 
children  and  was  very  fond  of  us.  One  day  she 
asked  little  brother  if  he  would  give  her  little  sister, 
meaning  me,  for  one  of  her  pretty  pet  fawns.    He 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  47 

said,  "Yes."  When  she  started  with  me  in  her  arms 
toward  the  door  he  screamed  and  cried  so  hard  be- 
fore she  could  make  him  know  she  was  only  in  fun. 
He  said,  ''Don't  take  my  little  sister.  Go  over  the 
river  to  the  big  house  and  take  that  'papoose'  be- 
cause it  cries  so  much."  When  the  older  brothers 
came  they  said,  "Why  didn't  you  trade  little  sister 
for  the  fawn  and  two  cub  bears?"  Mary  told  her 
father.  When  he  came  again  he  brought  the  fawn 
and  two  cubs  to  see  if  the  boys  would  trade  me  away 
for  them.  As  soon  as  the  boys  saw  the  fawn  and  the 
cubs  they  began  to  cry  and  beg  mother  not  to  let  me 
go.  They  did  not  want  to  trade  little  sister  off  for  any 
thing.  All  the  time  the  chief  remained  they  watched 
me,  fearing  he  might  take  me.  He  was  greatly 
amused  at  the  joke.  I  was  delighted  to  play  with 
the  fawn  and  the  cubs  were  like  kittens  to  play. 
The  fawn  was  inseparable  from  Mary,  it  loved 
her  so. 

The  days  were  longer  now  and  the  snow  all 
gone.  Grass  was  beginning  to  show  in  many  places. 
The  sun  shone  warm  and  bright.  Mother  said, 
"Spring  is  here,  now  don't  you  hear  the  birds  sing?" 
Grandpa  took  us  for  little  walks,  but  not  far,  as  the 
wolves  were  always  neaf  almost  every  morning. 
Sometimes  two  or  three  deer  would  come  tearing 
past  our  door,  jumping  into  the  river  to  save  them- 
selves from  the  packs  of  wolves  chasing  them,  and 
the  bears  would  swim  across  the  mouth  of  the  river. 
Indian  hunters  were  always  coming  home  from  the 
hunt  loaded  with  game.  Their  deer  meat  was  dried 
and  smoked  for   future  use.     The  wolves  would 


48  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

come  close  to  our  house  and  little  brother  and  I 
would  often  try  to  call  them  to  come  and  get  some 
bread  and  butter,  we  thinking  them  dogs.  Grandpa 
and  Bob  were  always  near  us  or  we  would  have 
been  eaten  alive  by  the  wolves. 

THE   chief's   departure. 

I  remember  one  day  soon  after  breakfast  Mary 
and  her  father  came  with  a  number  of  other  In- 
dians, Mary's  aunt  with  the  rest.  A  large  canoe 
was  packed  and  fitted  out  with  all  things  necessary 
for  a  long  voyage.  The  chief  and  Mary's  aunt  were 
going  to  Canada  on  a  visit  and  Mary  was  to  stay 
with  us  till  her  father  returned.  Her  father  took 
four  men  and  Mary's  aunt  with  him.  Soon  all  was 
ready.  They  shook  hands  and  away  sped  the  bark 
canoe  over  the  waves.  Mary  at  first  was  sad  to 
have  her  father  go,  but  soon  was  cheerful  again. 
She  helped  mother  with  her  sewing  and  worked  two 
pretty  pairs  of  moccasins  and  made  leggings  and 
pretty  garters.  Some  of  the  work  was  for  her 
father.  Time  passed  and  it  began  to  be  time  for  the 
Chief's  return.  Mary  grew  restless  as  many 
storms  came.  She  would  look  out  over  the  waters 
for  hours.  Mother  tried  hard  to  comfort  her  and 
tell  her  all  would  be  well.  But  Mary  must  see  to 
believe.  Her  faith  could  not  reach  out  very  far  into 
unseen  things.  Grandpa  tried  to  comfort  her.  He 
would  kneel  down  and  pray  for  her  father's  return. 

One  day  a  young  Indian  came  to  our  house  to 
see  and  talk  to  Mary.  Mother  told  me  afterward  he 
was  Mary's  lover  and  had  promised  her  father  not 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  49 

to  visit  Mary  in  his  absence.  Hearing  how  wor- 
ried she  was  he  had  broken  his  promise.  Mary 
seemed  very  sad,  talked  very  little  to  him,  and  only 
when  mother  was  present.  She  had  also  promised 
her  father  not  to  meet  him  while  he  was  gone.  The 
»  Chief  had  not  given  his  full  consent  to  their  mar- 
riage. Another  Chief's  son  had  asked  for  Mary  to 
be  given  him  in  marriage,  which  was  now  Mary's 
father's  business  away  in  Canada.  She  worried  not 
so  much  for  her  father's  absence  as  she  feared  her 
father  and  the  Canadian  chief  would  come  to  a 
satisfactory  understanding  and  that  she  might  be 
compelled  to  marry  the  Canadian  lover  whose  father 
had  much  land  and  stock.  She  felt  worried  because 
her  lover  had  broken  his  word  to  her  father  and  she 
feared  his  displeasure.  Indians  are  very  strict 
about  their  laws  and  customs. 

RETURN  OF  THE  CHIEF  OSSAWINAMAKEE. 

One  day  soon  after  this  I  saw  the  Chief  coming 
up  the  path  to  the  house.  He  was  not  alone.  Mary 
was  lying  in  the  swinging  hammock.  She  gave  a 
bound  like  a  deer  and  reached  the  door  just  as  her 
father  came  in.  She  threw  her  arms  about  his  neck 
and  fainted  away.  Mother  put  water  on  her  face. 
She  soon  opened  her  eyes  and  smiled  at  her  father. 
He  took  her  hand  and  talked  long  to  her.  She 
looked  past  him  and  saw  the  strange  young  Indian 
standing  beside  the  door.  She  gave  a  cry  and  put 
her  hands  to  her  face.  Her  father  called  him  to 
come  to  them,  speaking  to  them  both.  At  last  Mary 
gave  him  her  hand  and  spoke  the  Indian  greeting, 


50  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

**Bou  shou''  (how  do  you  do.)  In  turn  we  all 
greeted  him  with  the  same  term.  The  Chief  talked 
a  long  time  to  Mary  and  mother,  telling  about  his 
trip.     Father  came  home  to  supper. 

The  Chief  had  brought  a  large  pack  of  beauti- 
ful silks,  beads,  scarfs  and  cloth  for  Mary  to  make 
some  new  gowns.     He  also  brought  some  pretty 
shells  from  Lake  Simcoe    for   mother,   which    she 
prized  very  highly  as  her  mother  was  born  there, 
and  many  more  goods  of  furs  and  rugs.    The  young 
Indian  also  brought  some  furs  and  rugs,  one  hand- 
some white  one  with  black  spots  upon  it  which  he 
laid  down  at  Mary's  feet.     She  did  not  seem  to  be 
very  well  pleased  with  the  present,  but  her  father 
was  loud  in  his  praise  and  thanks.     At  last  Mary 
thanked  him  in  a  low  voice.     As  it  was  growing 
dark  the  Chief  and  the  young  Indian  left  for  the 
village,  Mary  remaining    with    us    for    the    night. 
Brother  Charley  and  I  lay  down  on  the  white  rug 
with  Bob  beside  us  and  were  soon  fast  asleep. 
Oh  childhood's  happy  hours. 
Would  that  they  could  come  again ! 
If  only  we  might  taste  their  joys  once  more 
Our  hearts  would  sing  a  glad  refrain. 

INVITED  TO  THE  FEAST. 

Next  morning  the  Chief  came  to  take  his  daugh- 
ter home,  thanking  mother  for  taking  care  of  her 
during  his  absence.  We  were  all  invited  to  attend 
the  great  feast  with  the  other  Chemokamon's  (white 
men)  from  the  other  side  of  the  river.  It  had  been 
told  to  the  tribe  that  morning  of  the  coming  mar- 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  51 

riage  of  the  Chief's  daughter  to  the  Canadian 
Chief's  son,  who  had  much  land  and  stock  to  give 
his  bride.  When  he  talked  with  mother  about  it 
she  asked  him  about  the  other  young  man  and  if  he 
had  not  promised  Mary  to  him.  He  answered,  "We 
come  of  a  proud  and  haughty  race.  This  young 
man  has  much  land  and  riches  while  the  other  has- 
nothing  to  give  my  daughter.  No  lands,  no  mon- 
eys." Mother  said  to  him,  ''You  will  miss  Mary 
from  your  wigwam."  At  this  he  softened,  then  say- 
ing, "I  have  power  to  extend  the  time  of  Mary's; 
marriage." 

On  the  day  of  the  feast  the  sun  shone  clear 
and  bright.  Our  boys  were  up  early  and  all  seemed 
to  be  in  a  hurry.  Grandpa  had  made  a  little  cart  for 
Bob  to  draw  me  in,  so  Bob's  harness  was  all  trim- 
med with  gay  colored  ribbons.  Mother  put  on  my 
little  red  dress  and  pretty  beaded  moccasins  which 
Mary  had  made  for  me.  Then  I  was  put  into  the 
cart  and  old  Bob  trotted  off  so  proudly,  thinking 
perhaps  of  his  younger  days  when  he  had  brought 
the  great  loads  of  furs  from  the  Lake  Superior 
trapping  grounds  to  the  Sault  and  Mackinac  Islands 
to  be  sold  to  the  traders  there.  Those  were  proud 
days  for  the  voyagers  when  all  the  village  came 
out  to  meet  them  from  their  long  trips.  After  cross- 
ing the  river  we  were  joined  by  the  people  on  that 
side,  who  were  a  happy  lot.  This  was  a  holiday  for 
them  all.  An  Indian  feast  which  none  had  ever 
before  attended.  Something  to  write  about  to  their 
far  away  homes.  All  went  along  singing.  Old 
grandpa  singing  his  French  and  Spanish  glee  songs 


52  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

with  the  boys  joining,  which  made  the  woods  ring. 
We  soon  came  to  the  lake,  and  the  village  of  many 
wigwams  was  close  beside  the  water. 

THE  BEAUTIFUL  LAKE  AT  THE  INDIAN  VILLAGE. 

On  that  morning  the  lake  was  like  a  great  mir- 
ror or  a  sea  of  glass,  not  a  ripple  stirred  its  surface 
and  the  beautiful  trees  were  reflected  on  every  side, 
hanging  branches  everywhere  full  of  song  birds, 
and  swimming  about  near  the  shore  were  broods  of 
ducks  with  their  little  ones  among  them.  None 
seemed  to  be  afraid  of  us.  There  were  many 
young  fawns  wandering  about  and  drinking 
from  the  lake.  Mossy  banks  and  many  flowers. 
No  one  was  allowed  to  harm  the  birds,  fawns  or 
ducks.  The  place  seemed  rightly  named  "The  Lake 
of  Enchantment."  I  remember  being  carried  into  a 
wigwam  and  laid  on  a  bed  of  skins  and  furs.  I 
was  so  sleepy  after  my  ride.  When  I  awoke 
I  found  myself  alone  and  being  frightened 
began  to  cry.  Very  soon  Bob  came  bounding  in. 
I  took  him  by  the  collar  and  when  we  were  out  of 
doors  I  saw  a  lot  of  Indian  children  with  brother 
Lewis  and  Toney  running  and  jumping  with  them. 
I  saw  mother  and  grandpa,  with  little  brother,  go- 
ing into  a  large  wigwam.  I  ran  over  to  them. 
In  the  middle  of  this  lodge  was  a  great  fire  with 
many  kettles  hanging  in  which  the  dinner  was  being 
cooked  for  the  feast.  The  lodge  had  been  made  on 
purpose  for  the  (chemokamon)  white  man's  cook- 
ing to  be  done.  Grandpa  and  mother  had  full  charge 
of  this  part.  Father  soon  came  and  took  little  brother 
and  me  where  many  young  Indians  and  the  white 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  53 

men  were  playing  a  game  of  ball.  There  were  many 
squaws  and  children  all  gaily  dressed  with  many 
colored  ribbons.  Dogs  were  running  about  every- 
where, and  young  pet  cub  bears  which  the  children 
seemed  to  be  taking  care  of.  The  squaws  had  been 
to  our  house  and  knew  us  children.  They  came  to  us, 
giving  us  little  cakes  of  maple  sugar. 

THE    INDIAN    MAIDEN    IN    HER    WIGWAM. 

After  a  time  little  brother  and  I  wanted  to  see 
Mary,  so  father  took  us  to  her  wigwam,  which  was 
covered  with  black  bear  skins.  There  we  found 
Mrs.  Frankle  with  her  sister  and  the  children.  Mary 
was  sitting  on  a  bear  skin  rug  with  her  hands  folded 
and  her  eyes  almost  shut.  I  wish  I  could  describe 
her  as  she  looked  sitting  there  in  her  dark  beauty. 
I  could  not  take  my  eyes  off  her.  She  raised  her 
eyes  and  looked  «at  me  as  if  to  know  what  I  wanted 
or  what  did  I  see.  Then  she  smiled  and  sprang  to 
her  feet,  coming  towards  me.  I  backed  away  and 
gave  a  great  sob  just  as  I  have  felt  since  when  look- 
ing at  some  beautiful  picture.  It  seemed  to  thrill 
me  through  and  through.  She  seemed  almost  to 
know  my  thoughts.  She  seemed  almost  afraid  to 
move.  At  last  she  took  me  in  her  arms  and,  sitting 
down  near  Mrs.  Frankle,  the  great  tears  rolled 
down  her  face.  Mrs.  Frankle  put  her  face  near 
Mary's  and  kissed  her.  Then  the  great  sobs  came. 
The  Indian  maiden  may  sob  but  never  cry  aloud 
like  her  white  skinned  sisters.  I  wondered  why 
Mary  should  sob  and  the  tears  fall  on  my  face  when 
she  was  so  beautiful  and  had  such  beautiful  clothes. 


54  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

I  felt  of  her  dress  and  arms,  passing  my  hands  over 
her  face,  which  made  her  smile.  She  then  gave  us 
some  pretty  shells  to  play  with.  Soon  Mary's  father 
came  to  see  if  she  were  ready  to  appear  before  the 
crowd.  When  his  eyes  rested  on  her  a  pleased  look 
came  over  his  face.  He  seemed  to  be  satisfied,  for 
he  gave  a  shrug,  saying  *'ugh  ni-chi-chin"  (good), 
meaning  he  was  satisfied  with  her  appearance. 
Little  Charley  and  I  had  found  the  pretty  leggings 
and  moccasins  Mary  had  made  for  her  father  and 
lover  and  ran  to  the  Chief  with  them,  holding  them 
up  for  him  to  see,  telling  him  Mary  made  them.  He 
took  them  in  his  hand  and  smiled.  He  seemed 
pleased,  but  Mary  came  as  if  to  take  them.  He  kept 
them  in  his  hand,  talking  long  and  earnestly  to 
her.  She  stood  with  her  head  bowed  and  sad.  He 
showed  Miss  Harriet  and  Mrs.  Frankle  the  pretty 
work,  which  they  admired,  but  Mary  seemed  so 
sad  they  wondered. 

THE  SOUNDING  OF  THE  DRUM. 

We  now  heard  a  big  drum  and  the  barking  of 
dogs.  Then  all  the  men  with  Mr.  Frankle  came  and 
the  Chief  took  Mary's  hand.  Father  took  me  in  his 
arms  and  we  all  went  out  where  there  were  a  great 
many  Indians  standing  in  a  large  circle.  The  Chief 
and  his  daughter  went  into  the  circle  and  all  the 
white  people  followed.  There  were  great  skins  of 
bear  and  other  furs  spread  about  for  the  chemoka- 
mon  (white  man)  to  sit  upon,  but  all  the  Indians 
must  stand  while  the  Chief  made  his  speech  and 
gave  the  announcement  of  his  daughter's  marriage 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  55 

with  the  Canadian  Chief's  son,  who  was  now  his 
guest. 

CHIEF  OSSAWINAMAKEE's  SPEECH. 

The  chief  walked  into  the  circle  with  a  proud 
and  haughty  tread,  waving  his  hand  for  all  to  be 
silent.  I  knew  nothing  of  what  he  said,  but  my 
father  told  me  when  I  was  old  enough  to  under- 
stand. I  remember  his  form.  He  was  tall  and 
stately,  with  a  fine  appearance,  and  was  dressed 
as  became  the  chief  of  the  proud  Ottawa  tribe. 
Many  silver  ornaments  were  on  his  breast.  He 
talked  a  long  time,  while  all  listened  in  stately 
silence. 

After  a  time  he  was  silent  and  two  more  forms 
appeared  within  the  circle.  The  first  to  enter  was 
the  Canadian  Indian.  His  step  was  firm,  his  head 
high,  his  look  bold;  he  was  dressed  in  bright  red, 
with  beaded  leggings  and  many  feathers  around  his 
fiead.  The  other  one  came  in  with  a  soft  and  silent 
step.  His  form  was  slight  and  willowy.  He  was 
dressed  in  a  deer  skin  suit,  with  beaded  leggings, 
silver  ornaments  on  his  breast,  and  a  band  about 
his  head  filled  with  eagle  feathers.  He  came  close 
to  the  Chief,  his  eyes  were  looking  down,  his  face 
seemed  sad.  He  was  Mary's  true  lover,  the  son 
of  a  chief  of  the  Chippewas,  whose  father  had  died, 
leaving  him  in  the  care  of  Mary's  father.  His 
father  had  been  a  great  warrior  and  owned  much 
land,  but  had  lost  it  all  in  long  wars  with  other 
nations.  The  name  of  this  young  chief  was  Sha- 
wan-nib-in-asse  (southern  bird).    Mary  and  he  had 


56  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

been  raised  together  with  the  understanding  they 
would  be  joined  in  marriage  sometime,  but  in  one 
of  the  chief's  trips  to  Canada  with  his  young 
daughter,  the  chief  of  a  tribe  there  had  asked  for 
Mary  for  his  son.  Being  rich,  Chief  Ossawinama- 
kee  thought  it  best  to  give  his  daughter  to  the  rich 
chief's  son.  Very  soon  the  chief  presented  the  Can- 
adian Indian  with  a  pair  of  leggings  and  moccasins, 
saying  they  were  a  present  from  his  daughter.  The 
young  Indian  expressed  his  thanks  with  many  bows 
casting  many  looks  of  triumph  at  Mary's  lover. 
When  Mary  saw  these  presents  given  she  almost 
gave  a  scream.  She  stepped  forward  as  if  to  take 
them  from  his  hands. 

ALL   ENJOYMENT. 

* 

As  soon  as  the  speeches  were  ended  all  sat  in 
circles.  The  Chief's  circle  was  filled  with  his  own 
family,  his  sisters  and  their  families  and  his  Cana- 
dian guest.  The  Chemokamons  were  by  themselves. 
The  Indians  with  their  squaws  and  children  had 
corn  soup  served  with  dried  venison  and  fish.  The 
soup  was  put  in  large  pans  with  only  one  large 
wooden  spoon  or  ladle.  When  one  took  a  spoonful 
it  was  passed  to  the  next  and  so  on  around  the  circle 
of  about  twelve  or  fifteen  persons.  The  white  peo- 
ple also  had  corn  soup  or  maize,  as  it  was  called, 
corn  pounded  in  a  wooden  mortar,  with  dried 
smoked  venison  and  broiled  white  fish,  baked  pota- 
toes and  many  other  things  which  mother  had  pre- 
pared herself.  There  was  much  talking  and  laugh- 
ing among  the  Indians  as  well  as  white  people.    The 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  57 

dogs  ran  round  the  outside  of  the  circle  and  every 
time  the  drum  was  beaten  they  would  yelp  and  bark 
while  Bob  would  howl.  The  fawns  and  deer  came 
near  to  us  as  if  enjoying  the  sport,  while  the  little 
cub  bears  scampered  away  to  a  cute  little  wigwam 
where  they  slept  at  night.  All  was  mirth  and  gai- 
ety. When  the  eating  was  over  the  Chief  arose, 
raised  his  head  high,  giving  thanks  to  the  Great 
Spirit,  and  buried  a  small  piece  of  silver  to  entreat 
good  crops  and  full  hunting  grounds  for  that  year. 
There  was  jumping  and  canoe  paddling  among  the 
Indians,  which  ended  the  day's  sport.  There  had 
been  a  white  dog  killed,  as  was  the  custom  at  their 
feasts.  We  saw  the  pelt  stretched  up  to  dry.  Father 
told  me  many  times  that  all  went  home  at  sunset 
much  pleased  with  their  day  of  pleasure  and  sport. 
The  white  people  were  delighted  with  Indian  feasts 
and  declared  that  no  White  Dog  had  been  served  to 
them  in  their  Corn  Soup,  knowing  my  mother  had 
charge  of  their  cooking. 

ENDING  OF  THE  FEAST  AND  SAD  ENDING  OF  A 
YOUNG  LIFE. 

Early  next  morning  all  was  excitement  at  the 
Indian  Village,  for  Mary's  lover,  Sha-wan-nib-in- 
asse,  was  dead.  All  suspicion  pointed  to  the  Can- 
adian Indian  poisoning  him  through  jealousy.  The 
Indian  women  told  my  mother  at  the  feast  that  all 
the  week  they  had  feared  the  two  young  men  would 
fight,  as  they  hated  each  other  with  a  deadly  hatred. 
Now  the  whole  village  was  ready  to  kill  the  Canad- 
ian Indian,  as  none  had  ever  liked  him  for  the  rea- 


58  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

son  that  he  was  British.  The  old  hatred  had  not 
died  out  from  their  hearts,  even  though  peace  had 
been  declared  so  long  among  the  tribes.  The  Can- 
adian Indian  hurried  from  the  Village  and  stopped 
at  our  house  on  his  way  down  the  shore,  where  he 
soon  reached  a  small  trading  vessel  and  made  his 
way  home  to  Canada.  Mary  was  very  sorrowful 
with  grief  at  the  death  of  her  lover,  and  her  father 
was  sure  the  Great  Spirit  was  displeased  with  him 
for  favoring  the  Canadian  Indian.  We  were  all 
afraid  it  might  cause  a  war,  as  all  the  Indians  at  the 
Village  wanted  their  Chief  to  go  to  Canada  and  get 
satisfaction  from  the  father  in  Canada.  The  white 
people  advised  the  Chief  Ossawinamakee  not  to  go 
to  war,  as  his  whole  tribe  would  be  killed,  having 
no  warriors  to  be  a  match  for  the  Canadian  Indians. 
The  tribe  had  lived  in  peace  so  long  war  was  only 
history  to  them.    The  Chief  took  the  advice. 

BURIAL  OF  SHA-WAN-NIB-IN-ASSE. 

They  buried  the  young  lover  with  great  honor, 
buried  him  with  the  sound  of  the  muffled  drum. 
Father  made  the  casket  and  mother  was  there  to 
help  them.  They  dressed  him  in  the  pretty  leggings 
and  moccasins  Mary  had  made  for  him,  putting  the 
other  pair  with  bows  and  arrows,  silver  breastplates, 
with  a  small  kettle  and  wooden  ladle  and  gun,  into 
the  casket  as  was  their  custom  when  burying  their 
dead.  They  buried  him  beside  the  peaceful  little 
lake  where  the  branches  of  the  trees  were  filled  with 
singing  birds.  Though  a  child  of  the  forest  he  had 
loved  Mary  with  a  pure  and  holy  love. 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  59 

ON  BOARD  THE  ELIZA  CAROLINE. 

My  father  had  now  finished  his  contract  with  Mr. 
Frankle  at  the  mill.  Hearing  that  there  were  many- 
people  settling  on  ''Beaver  Island,"  several  families 
that  we  knew  from  York  State,  Ohio  and  Canada, 
he  made  up  his  mind  to  go  there.  Our  goods  were 
put  on  board  the  staunch  little  ship  "Eliza  Caroline," 
the  vessel  my  father  had  built  the  year  before.  The 
Chief  and  his  daughter  Mary  came  to  say  good-by. 
Good-bys  were  said  to  our  good  neighbors  across 
the  river  in  the  big  house.  We  had  all  become  very 
dear  friends  to  each  other.  There  were  many  kind 
wishes  and  God-speeds  for  us  when  the  Captain  said 
''all  aboard."  White  sails  were  set  and  we  glided 
from  the  river  out  onto  Lake  Michigan  just  as  the 
sun  was  sinking  in  the  west.  Darkness  soon  shut  out 
the  forms  of  our  friends  that  stood  waving  to  us 
from  the  shore.  We  knew  we  were  once  more  out 
on  the  water  on  God's  great  rolling  cradle  of  the 
sea.  We  children,  with  mother  and  grandpa,  said 
our  prayers  in  the  little  cabin  and  were  soon  fast 
asleep  with  the  sound  of  the  rippling  waves  singing 
to  us  a  sweet  lullaby  of  peace  and  rest. 


60  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA:  AND 


PART  II. 


BEAVER  ISLAND. 


Beaver  Island  was  once  the  home  of  the  Mor- 
mons. This  island  is  the  largest  in  the  group  of 
islands  in  lake  Michigan,  containing  about  fifteen 
thousand  acres  of  land. 

To  many  who  may  read  these  pages  it  may  seem 
like  a  fairy  tale  to  know  that  a  kingdom  ever  existed 
within  the  borders  of  the  United  States.  A  king- 
dom has  existed,  and  that  little  kingdom  was  on 
Beaver  Island,  now  commonly  known  as  St.  James, 
being  named  in  honor  of  him  who  made  himself  a 
king.  James  Jesse  Strang  was  born  and  educated  in 
New  York  State,  graduated  from  the  Fredonia 
Academy  of  the  same  state.  He  studied  law  and 
was  classed  among  the  brilliant  lawyers  of  his  day. 
In  his  eight  years  rule  on  Beaver  Island  he  was 
twice  elected  to  the  State  Legislature  of  Michigan. 
His  speeches  were  considered  among  the  most  brill- 
iant delivered  in  the  halls  of  Lansing,  the  State 
Capitol.  He  spoke  with  ease,  his  manner  was  win- 
ning, he  aimed  to  be  a  leader.  Strang  was  living 
at  Voree,  Wis.,  at  the  time  of  Joseph  Smith's  death 
at  Nauvoo,  111.  Having  joined  the  Mormon  Church 
he  now  claimed  to  have  "Divine  Revelations"  from 
God  that  he  was  chosen  to  fill  Joseph  Smith's  place 
to  lead  the  people  left  without  a  leader.     After  a 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  61 

hard  struggle  which  he  made  for  the  leadership, 
Brigham  Young  was  chosen  as  Smith's  successor. 

BEAVER  ISLAND  CHOSEN  AS  A  KINGDOM. 

Strang  felt  his  defeat  very  keenly  and  withdrew 
with  a  few  of  his  followers  who  had  entire  belief  in 
his  revelations.  He  now  went  to  Kirtland,  Ohio, 
where  a  Mormon  temple  had  been  built  as  a  place  of 
worship  for  the  Latter  Day  Saints,  as  they  are  now 
commonly  known.  Strang  soon  became  restless. 
Brigham  Young  had  already  gone  with  a  large  num- 
ber of  Smith's  followers  to  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 
Strang  wanted  more  territory,  more  privileges,which 
he  knew  he  could  not  have  in  Kirtland,  so  he  began 
to  look  about  for  a  place  where  he  could  establish  a 
kingdom  over  which  he  could  rule  with  undisputed 
sway.  Being  a  lawyer  and  understanding  the  law  so 
perfectly  he  knew  he  could  not  carry  out  his  plans 
unless  he  found  some  secluded  place  where  the  law 
of  the  land  could  not  easily  reach  him,  and  where 
could  he  find  a  place  better  suited  to  carry  out  his 
plans  than  Beaver  Island?  In  1846,  two  years  prior 
to  Strang's  coming  to  Beaver  Island  to  establish  his 
kingdom  he  was  on  his  way  west  to  Wisconsin. 
The  steamer  he  took  passage  on  was  driven  into 
Beaver  Harbor  to  seek  shelter  from  a  storm.  When 
Strang  was  telling  all  this  to  my  father  he  said, 
"When  my  eyes  first  rested  on  Beaver  Island  I 
thought  it  the  most  beautiful  place  on  earth." 

At  the  time  Strang  was  there,  a  Mr.  Alva  Cable 
from  Fairport,  Ohio,  had  located  at  the  Point 
and  was  establishing  a  business.     He  had  built  a 


62  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

dock,  a  store  and  a  fine  large  dwelling  and  was  al- 
ready buying  fish  from  the  fishermen  and  shipping 
them  to  outside  markets. 

Strang's  first  coming  to  the  island  with  his 

PEOPLE. 

Strang  had  already  settled  in  his  riiind  to  locate 
at  Cheboygan,  Mich.,  having  looked  over  the  loca- 
tion. Mackinac  Island  being  just  near  enough  for 
him  to  get  their  supplies.  At  that  time  Mackinac 
Island  was  the  largest  fish  market  in  northern  Mich- 
igan, furnishing  supplies  to  the  whole  north  shore 
and  fishermen  among  the  great  number  of  islands, 
its  several  stores  furnishing  everything  necessary  to 
the  people  around  and  being  in  close  touch  with  the 
outside  world,  having  a  postoffice  and  mails  coming 
there  from  Detroit. 

But  when  Strang  saw  Beaver  Island,  its  beauti- 
ful harbor,  fine  timber  and  natural  beauty  of  scen- 
ery, the  thought  came  to  him  like  an  inspiration,  and 
he  said,  "This  is  where  I  will  come  to  build  up  my 
kingdom."  And  when  he  saw  all  the  improvements 
being  done  he  had  no  doubt  but  he  could  soon  have 
all  the  people  about  the  shore  as  his  followers.  But 
there  was  much  to  hinder  before  he  could  persuade 
many  of  his  followers  to  come  and  locate  on  a 
lonely  island,  as  it  seemed  to  them,  in  the  middle  of 
Lake  Michigan.  Also  Strang's  wife  was  not  a  be- 
liever in  the  Mormon  doctrine,  having  no  faith  in 
the  revelations  he  claimed  to  have ;  but  Strang  had 
a  great  command  of  language  and  possessed  a 
strong  will  power.    He  at  last  persuaded  a  few  of 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  6> 

his  followers  to  come  with  him  to  Beaver  Island, 
where  they  landed  from  a  steamer  in  the  early  part 
of  June,  1848,  two  years  after  he  had  first  seen  the 
island.  About  twenty-five  people  came  with  him, 
and  before  navigation  closed  over  a  hundred  more 
had  landed,  most  of  them  being  all  unprepared  for  a 
long,  cold  winter  on  an  island  where  the  snows  were 
extremely  deep  in  winter. 

PAYMENT  TIME  FOR  THE  INDIANS. 

The  whole  surrounding  country  at  that  time  was 
a  wilderness.  White  settlers  were  few  in  number. 
There  were  many  different  tribes  of  Indians  wan- 
dering about  from  place  to  place  on  their  hunting 
and  fishing  tours.  They  were  all  peaceably  inclined,, 
many  remained  long  enough  to  plant  small  gardens 
near  the  shores,  but  never  clearing  the  land  at  any 
distance  back  from  the  shore.  The  woods  were 
filled  with  abundance  of  game  to  satisfy  all  their 
wants  and  needs.  The  red  men  of  the  forest  were 
best  satisfied  in  their  own  native  wilds.  They 
were  nature's  children.  The  trees,  flowers,  buds, 
leaves  and  waves  on  the  shore  all  whispered  their 
mystery  of  the  great  and  good  Spirit  that  ruled  all 
things.  In  those  days  the  Indians  were  receiving 
payments  from  the  government.  An  agent  was  em- 
ployed with  a  clerk  to  make  these  annual  pay- 
ments. Sometimes  the  money  would  be  paid  out 
at  Sault  Ste.  Marie,  sometimes  Green  Bay  was 
the  place  of  gathering,  other  times  Mackinac  Island. 
Then  the  tribes  would  gather  from  far  and  near, 
bringing  their  whole  families  to  receive  their  money. 


64  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

That  was  a  happy  time  for  the  red  man  and  his  fam- 
ily to  know  the  "Great  Father"  at  Washington  was 
such  a  friend.  Payment  time,  as  it  was  called,  also 
made  trade  for  the  white  man. 

THE  INDIANS  AND  THEIR  ISLANDS. 

There  was  a  large  band  of  Indians  living  on 
Garden  Island,  three  miles  distant  north  from  Beav- 
er Island.  This  island  had  been  deeded  to  them  by 
the  government  as  their  own.  Also  another  island 
about  six  miles  west  of  Beaver  Island,  called  High 
Island.  Both  these  Islands  were  fertile,  covered 
with  heavy  timber,  and  both  afforded  good  fishing 
opportunities  with  good  harbors  at  each  island. 
Strang's  people  never  having  seen  Indians  before 
were  naturally  very  timid,  especially  when  the  In- 
dians gathered  at  Beaver  Harbor  to  sell  their  fish 
and  being  friendly  often  called  at  the  Chemokamon's 
house.  The  Indian  being  of  an  inquisitive  nature, 
wanted  to  see  how  the  white  brothers  lived  in  their 
homes.  Strang  himself  said  he  felt  none  too  sure 
of  his  own  life  when  he  saw  so  many  coming  to  his 
home,  but  the  Indians  and  their  squaws  with  their 
papooses  on  their  backs,  that  being  the  fashion  of 
carrying  their  young  children,  were  always  smiling 
and  good  natured,  which  very  soon  reassured 
Strang  and  his  people  that  they  were  friendly  and 
meant  them  no  harm.  At  first  the  Mormons  always 
kept  their  doors  locked  and  barred.  Strang  soon 
preached  to  them  to  leave  their  doors  open  to  their 
Indian  friends,  which  they  did  with  the  faith  that 
their  King  knew  best. 


JAMES  JESSE  STRANG,   THE   MORMON    KING, 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  65 

STRANG  CALLING  ON  US. 

About  the  time  my  people  came  to  Beaver  Island 
the  property  at  the  Point  in  Beaver  Harbor  was  just 
changing  hands,  Mr.  Alva  Cable  having  sold  his 
dock  and  buildings  to  a  Mr.  Peter  McKinley  from 
Painesville,  Ohio,  who  came  with  his  family  and 
took  possession  at  once,  putting  in  a  supply  of  pro- 
visions for  the  fall  trade  with  the  fishermen. 

Strang  soon  called  on  our  people,  and  was  anx- 
ious to  have  my  father  build  our  home  near  the  Mor- 
mon settlement  at  the  harbor,  promising  there  would 
be  plenty  of  work,  as  more  of  his  people  were  con- 
stantly coming.  Strang  was  so  friendly  and  sent 
many  of  his  people  to  call  on  us.  His  wife  also 
called  on  us.  She  was  a  bright,  sensible,  noble 
woman,  and  we  found  her  friendship  was  true.  My 
mother  being  a  nurse,  Strang  told  her  he  would  al- 
ways be  glad  of  her  assistance  when  any  of  his  peo- 
ple were  sick.  Our  people  had  never  heard  about 
Mormons  before  and  knew  nothing  about  their  be- 
lief or  doctrine.  Mother  told  me  many  times  after- 
ward it  seemed  very  strange  to  her  seeing  the  Mor- 
mon women  dressed  in  short  dresses  with  hair  cut 
short  and  keeping  Saturday  for  their  Sunday* 
When  mother  spoke  to  them  about  it  they  told  her 
that  King  Strang  had  all  these  revelations  from  God 
and  that,  he  being  their  leader,  they  must  obey  what 
he  said. 

FIRST  SETTLERS. 

Our  house  was  soon  finished.  Father  had  built  it 
near  to  a  Gentile  family,  an  elderly  couple  from  Tor- 


66  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

onto,  Canada.  They  had  bought  a  small  piece  of 
land  from  the  government,  making  themselves  a 
home  the  year  previous  to  the  coming  of  the  Mor- 
mons. They  were  an  Irish  family  with  considerable 
means.  They  first  came  to  Mackinac  Island  to 
visit  a  nephew,  Mr.  P.  Kilty.  They  took  a  Httle 
trip  to  Beaver  Island  with  others,  and  were  so 
pleased  with  it,  thinking  it  would  soon  be  settled  and 
make  a  desirable  place  to  live.  Their  name  was 
Loaney,  and  the  place  where  they  located  has  always 
borne  the  name  of  Loaney's  Point.  It  was  on  the 
south  side  of  Beaver  Harbor,  distant  about  two 
miles  from  the  village.  On  the  end  of  Loaney's 
Point  rests  a  large  boulder  which  has  always 
been  a  land  mark,  sometimes  looming  up  looking 
like  a  great  black  steamer  near  the  shore.  Mr. 
Loaney's  nephew,  P.  Kilty,  also  located  at  the  Island 
and  was  driven  away  with  the  rest  of  the  Gentiles, 
returning  again  after  the  Mormons  were  sent  away 
from  the  Island,  residing  many  years  there  and 
being  a  successful  fisherman  and  farmer.  His  son, 
Mr.  Peter  Kilty,  is  now,  and  has  been  for  several 
years,  a  captain  on  one  of  the  large  steamboats  on 
lake  Michigan.  The  old  couple,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Loaney,  had  some  sad  experience  with  their  Mor- 
mon neighbors,  losing  their  home  and  all  they 
had  by  their  persecutions.  After  the  Mormons  were 
driven  oflf  the  Island  Mr.  Loaney  returned  and  was 
appointed  keeper  of  the  Beaver  Island  lighthouse 
at  the  head  of  the  Island,  holding  the  position  sev- 
eral years,  he  being  the  second  keeper  having  charge 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  67 

of  that  station,  a  Mr.  Van  Allen  being  the  first 
keeper  when  the  light  was  first  erected. 

PREPARING   FOR   WINTER. 

The  winter  of  1849  was  an  extremely  cold  win- 
ter, with  heavy  ice  and  deep  snows.  Our  summer 
boarders  had  all  packed  and  gone  to  their  homes^ 
Father  had  brought  our  provisions  home  and 
packed  it  away  for  winter  use.  Many  of  our  Mor- 
mon neighbors  with  their  children  came  often  to 
see  us,  and  we  children  played  with  them.  Mr. 
Loaney  had  some  cows  and  Auntie  Loaney  was  al- 
ways bringing  us  milk  as  well  as  to  her  Mormon 
neighbors.  Our  boys  and  father  and  mother  were 
very  busy  making  a  large  fishing  seine  for  a  man 
in  Ohio  who  was  coming  the  next  spring. 

GOING  OVER  TO  THE  POINT  TO  DINNER  WITH   THE 
MCKINLEYS. 

Before  the  ice  came  in  the  fall  father  took  us  all 
in  our  boat  across  to  the  Point  so  mother  could  do 
some  shopping.  Mr.  McKinley  was  a  very  kind  and 
pleasant  man  and  would  have  us  go  to  his  house  for 
dinner.  He  wanted  us  to  get  acquainted  with  his  fam- 
ily. Father  took  us  over  to  their  nice,  large  and  com- 
fortable home.  Mrs.  McKinley  was  very  kind  and 
seemed  pleased  to  see  us.  She  was  a  pretty,  bright- 
faced  woman,  slender,  with  dark  hair  and  eyes.  She 
had  three  little  girls,  Sarah  the  eldest,  Effie  and 
Mary.  We  children  were  soon  acquainted,  playing 
with  the  dolls  and  having  tea  with  the  children's  lit- 
tle dishes.    Mr.  McKinley  had  a  sister  living  with 


68  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

him  whom  the  children  called  "Aunt  Ann."  ^She  was 
very  kind  to  us,  giving  us  many  slices  of  bread  and 
butter  with  cups  of  milk. 

I  remember  the  children  had  such  beautiful  hair, 
which  I  admired  so  much.  Mother  helped  to  set  the 
table  and  get  the  dinner  on  the  table,  as  they 
boarded  several  of  their  help.  Our  boys  were  out 
exploring  the  Point  with  some  Mormon  boys. 
When  we  were  ready  to  go  home  Mrs.  McKinley 
filled  a  great  basket  with  large  red  apples  for  us  to 
take  home.  Father  thanked  her,  saying  he  ought 
not  to  take  them,  as  he  had  two  barrels  at  the  store 
for  winter  use.  She  said,  "Do  take  these  apples, 
they  came  from  home  in  Ohio  and  are  better  than 
the  apples  at  the  store.  Now  I  want  you  to  have 
them."  We  children  played  together  until  the  last 
moment.  The  little  girls  gave  me  large  packages 
of  candy.  Kissing  them  I  promised  to  come  again 
sometime.  Mrs.  McKinley  was  very  kind,  wanting 
us  all  to  come  again.  Father  told  me  afterward 
when  I  was  older  how  lonely  she  was,  missing  her 
Ohio  home  so  much.  She  asked  father  what  he 
thought  about  our  Mormon  neighbors.  He  said  he 
knew  very  little  about  them,  so  far  they  had  been 
very  kind  and  pleasant.  She  told  him  her  fears, 
saying,  "I  have  no  faith  in  Strang  at  all.  I  fear 
he  is  misleading  those  people  and  I  am  afraid  they 
will  cause  us  all  lots  of  trouble  before  long,  but  my 
husband  thinks  they  are  a  well-meaning  people. 
We  have  invested  considerable  money,  which  I  feel 
quite  sure  we  shall  regret."  Father  tried  to  en- 
courage her  to  feel  more  hopeful,  but  she  said  she 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  69 

could   not   feel   they   were   true.      She   liked   Mrs. 
Strang,  as  everybody  did  who  knew  her. 

Soon  after  this  the  cold  snows  of  winter  were 
upon  us,  ice  made  very  fast.  We  heard  no  more  the 
whistle  of  the  boats,  and  saw  no  more  the  white  sails 
of  the  vessels  and  fish  boats  that  sailed  in  and  out  of 
the  pretty  harbor.  I  was  young,  yet  I  remembered 
and  missed  all  these  things. 

KIND    NEIGHBORS. 

I  was  never  tired  going  over  to  see  Uncle  and 
Auntie  Loaney,  as  they  taught  us  children  to  call 
them.  They  were  a  dear  old  couple  and  loved  us 
the  same  as  if  we  were  their  own.  I  remember  the 
pretty  large  cat  with  the  little  white  kittens.  When 
she  gave  me  bread  and  milk  I  would  sit  on  her 
clean  white  floor,  and  it  was  hard  to  know  which 
ate  most  of  that  bread  and  milk,  myself  or  the  cats. 
I  used  to  take  my  dolls  over  and  stay  days  at  a 
time  with  Auntie,  and  when  mother  came  after  me 
she  would  say,  ''Oh  don't  take  her  away  home. 
Sure  you  have  four  and  I  have  none  at  all,  at  all. 
Now  you  must  leave  me  one."  Then  little  brother 
Charley  would  go  and  stay  a  while  with  them  until 
he  got  lonely  for  the  rest  of  us.  In  that  way  we 
took  turns  being  with  our  kind,  good  neighbors  all 
the  time  we  lived  near  them.  Some  of  us  were 
always  with  them.  They  had  a  son  married  and 
doing  business  in  Toronto.  The  next  year  he  came 
to  visit  them  for  a  month.  Then  how  pleased  she 
was  to  tell  Michael  how  good  we  little  children  were 
to  her.     We  children  all  loved  them  dearly. 


70  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

Winter  was  advancing.  There  was  much  sick- 
ness among  the  Mormon  people.  Food  was  scarce 
with  no  means  to  buy,  and  clothing  thin  for  a 
northern  winter.  Mother  was  called  away  from 
home  to  care  for  them,  and  we  children  were  often 
left  at  home  with  grandpa  and  father.  Auntie  and 
Uncle  Loaney  were  always  coming  to  see  how  we 
were.  I  staid  with  them  most  of  the  time,  getting 
lonesome  often  for  Charley  and  Bob.  Poor  old 
Bob  was  more  feeble  than  ever  now,  the  cold  win- 
ter bringing  on  rheumatism. 

bob's  new  friend. 

I  remember  one  day  Uncle  Loaney  coming  in 
and  saying  to  father,  "Sure  Mr.  Whitney,  why 
don't  you  kill  that  old  dog?  He  is  good  for  nothing 
and  can't  stand  up  any  more."  That  was  enough, 
little  brother  and  I  began  to  cry  and  then  poor  old 
grandpa,  the  tears  rolled  down  his  cheeks,  and  when 
he  could  speak  he  said  in  his  broken  English,  "Oh 
don't  keel  Bob,  you  keel  Bob  me  die  too.  Me  and 
Bob  good  friends  good  many  year.  Oh  no  keel 
Bob."  Then  father  explained  what  a  long  time 
Bob  had  lived  and  been  with  grandpa  and  how  he 
had  saved  brother  Toney's  life  the  winter  before. 
Then  how  sorry  Uncle  Loaney  was,  saying,  "Yes  let 
poor  Bob  live  as  long  as  he  can."  After  that  many 
were  the  little  pails  of  milk  sent  to  Bob. 

SUFFERING  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

I  remember  a  man  came  to  our  house  one  morn- 
ing and  two  little  boys  were  with  him.    Father  had 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  71 

gone  with  Toney  and  Lewis  out  to  chop  wood  a 
short  distance  from  the  house.  The  man  came  in 
with  the  children  and  asked  to  see  father.  Grandpa 
was  so  afraid  to  be  alone  with  the  Mormon  he  said, 
"Me  no  want  you  keel  me.  Me  give  you  everything 
in  the  house  you  no  keel  me."  The  man  said,  "No, 
I  don't  want  to  hurt  you.  My  children  are  hungry." 
Charley  ran  out  to  tell  father  to  come,  then  the  man 
explained  how  hungry  his  family  were,  having  no 
bread  and  no  money  to  buy.  Father  gave  them 
something  to  eat,  and  soon  the  children  were  sit- 
ting with  Charley  and  me  eating  bread  and  butter. 
Father  gave  flour  and  other  things  for  the  man  to 
carry  home. 

CARING  FOR  THE  SICK  AND  DYING. 

Mother  soon  came  home,  telling  of  the  want 
and  suffering  among  the  people.  The  King  had  gone 
from  the  Island  on  the  last  boat,  leaving  them  to 
fare  as  best  they  could.  They  had  come  to  the 
Island  too  late  to  plant  anything  that  season  and 
none  of  them  knew  how  to  fish  or  help  themselves. 
They  suffered  cold,  hunger  and  death  that  winter 
without  complaint  of  their  King.  Their  whole  cry 
was  "Oh,  if  our  King  were  only  here."  There  was 
some  one  every  day  to  our  house  and  Aunt  Loaney's. 
The  Mormons  were  in  a  starving  condition.  Father 
gave  to  them  until  he  feared  we  should  be  left  with 
nothing.  Grandpa  was  afraid  we  children  would 
be  left  hungry,  so  he  buried  many  things  for  us. 
Mother  and  Auntie  were  always  busy  cooking  and 
carrying  food  to  the  sick  and  dying.    Mrs.  McKin- 


72  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

ley  was  just  as  busy  at  the  Point  helping  the  suffer- 
ing people  all  she  could.  There  were  several  deaths 
in  the  winter  and  spring.  After  awhile  father, 
grandpa  and  the  boys  put  some  nets  through  the  ice, 
catching  many  fish  for  the  hungry  people.  Our 
boys  set  hooks,  showing  the  Mormon  boys  how  to 
catch  the  fish  to  keep  themselves  from  starving. 
Father  and  mother  were  so  much  among  them  they 
began  to  learn  something  about  their  strange  belief, 
which  was  peculiar,  their  faith  being  all  placed  on 
their  leader,  "King  James,"  as  they  often  called 
Strang,  always  calling  upon  him  to  help  them  in 
their  trouble.  Mother  said  to  them,  "Why  do  you 
call  upon  man  to  help  you?  Why  don't  you  call 
upon  God  and  pray  to  him  for  help?"  They  would 
not  listen,  saying,  "Has  not  our  King  the  revela- 
tions revealed  to  him?" 

RETURN   OF   SPRING  AND   COMING  OF   STRANG. 

Spring  had  come.  Our  good  old  steamboat 
"Michigan"  had  come  to  our  harbor  once  more. 
Strang  also  came.  He  was  just  as  calm  and  serene 
as  usual,  nothing  seemed  to  disturb  him.  His  wife 
did  not  return  until  later  in  the  season.  He  soon 
came  to  our  house  and  seemed  very  grateful  to  our 
people  for  their  kindness  to  his  suffering  people 
during  his  absence.  When  mother  told  him  how 
much  they  had  suffered  he  laughed,  saying,  "Oh, 
they  must  get  used  to  Island  life  and  expect  to 
have  some  hardships."  Soon  the  boats  came  and 
brought  more  Mormons.  Those  that  came  now 
were  more  comfortable  and  seemed  to  have  more 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  73 

means  to  help  themselves  with.  Very  soon  they 
were  at  work  clearing  the  land  and  making  ready 
to  put  in  crops  of  potatoes,  corn  and  other  vege- 
tables. There  were  several  families  who  came 
from  Texas,  bringing  their  horses  with  them,  with 
wagons  and  a  few  cows.  Of  course  those  who  had 
plenty  had  to  share  with  those  who  had  little  and 
give  their  every  tenth  part  to  the  King's  treasury, 
and  very  often  giving  more  to  help  out  extra  ex- 
penses. Strang  seemed  in  excellent  spirits  and 
went  about  from  house  to  house,  talking  and  en- 
couraging his  people,  and  father  said  no  one  would 
think  they  had  passed  through  such  trouble  so  re- 
cently. Soon  it  was  planned  to  give  a  feast  in 
honor  of  the  King's  return,  and  great  were  the 
preparations  going  on  among  the  Mormons. 

JAMES    CABLE    SETTLING    AT    THE    HEAD    OF    BEAVER 
ISLAND. 

With  the  springtime  also  came  many  fishermen 
to  all  of  the  islands,  and  many  settled  along  the  east 
shore  of  Beaver  Island  as  far  up  as  the  light  house 
at  the  head  of  the  Island.  A  Mr.  James  Cable, 
nephew  of  Mr.  Alva  Cable,  had  now  come  to  locate 
at  the  head  of  Beaver  Island,  three  miles  north  of 
the  light-house  point.  James  Cable  came  from  York 
State.  He  was  a  bright,  smart,  enterprising  young 
man,  recently  married  to  a  most  estimable  young 
lady  of  the  same  city  where  he  lived.  They  came 
with  their  little  son  Claude,  a  child  of  about  two 
years  old.  Here  Mr.  Cable  invested  considerable 
money,  put  out  a  good  dock,  built  a  large  dwelling 


74  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA,-  AND 

and  store,  carrying  on  the  wood  business  for  many 
years,  as  well  as  having  a  fish  market,  employing 
several  men  getting  out  cord  wood  to  supply  the 
steamboats,  as  well  as  buying  fish  and  furnishing 
provisions  and  all  fishing  supplies  to  fishermen. 
Mr.  C.  R.  Wright,  also  another  man  from  New 
York  State,  settled  at  Cable's  dock  and  carried  on 
a  large  cooper  shop  to  supply  the  barrels  for  the 
fishermen,  which  became  a  great  industry.  Mr. 
Cable,  with  all  the  rest  of  the  Gentiles,  was  com- 
pelled to  leave  Beaver  Island  in  1852,  not  feeling 
safe  to  remain  longer.  After  the  death  of  King 
Strang  he  returned,  taking  possession  again  of  his 
property,  carrying  on  the  business  with  success  for 
several  years.  Feeling  his  need  of  rest  he  closed 
out  his  business  and  bought  the  property  at  Mack- 
inac Island  known  as  the  "Astor  House." 

Several  of  the  men  who  had  been  with  us  the 
year  before  now  returned  again  and  were  boarding 
with  us.  There  were  two  brothers  that  came.  Their 
names  were  Thomas  and  Samuel  Bennett.  Thomas 
was  married  when  he  came  and  they  soon  took 
some  land,  built  a  house  and  put  in  some  crops. 
They  also  were  in  the  fishing  business.  They  never 
were  very  friendly  with  the  Mormons. 

Strang's  revelations. 

Soon  after  Strang's  coming  after  that  terrible 
winter  of  cold  and  suffering  among  his  people,  he 
claimed  to  have  had  several  new  revelations  which 
must  be  told  to  his  people.  They  all  prepared  for  a 
great  feast  showing  their  joy  at  their  King's  safe  re- 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  75 

turn  among  them  again.  It  would  seem  in  his  talk 
to  them  about  his  new  revelations  that  he  told 
them  God  was  sending  many  Gentiles  to  be  a  help 
and  a  support  to  God's  people,  meaning  themselves, 
the  Latter  Day  Saints,  and  that  it  was  right  for  his 
people  to  take  whatever  was  necessary  for  them  to 
have.  That  it  was  their  privilege  to  take  from  the 
Gentiles.  This  was  the  first  time  that  the  King 
had  openly  given  any  orders  of  that  nature  to  his 
people.  Whether  any  Gentile  had  ever  been  admit- 
ted within  the  council  room  was  never  known,  or 
whether  some  of  his  own  people  told  what  had 
been  said,  which  many  of  us  thought  might  be  the 
case,  but  the  news  soon  spread,  and  from  that  time 
no  Gentile  felt  secure  about  his  property.  My  fa- 
ther once  asked  Strang  if  he  had  ever  preached  to 
his  people  and  given  such  orders.  He  answered  he 
had  not,  but  their  actions  soon  told  what  their  in- 
structions had  been. 

ROBBING   THE   GENTILES. 

His  people  soon  began  to  take  from  the  Gentiles 
whatever  they  could  get.  Up  to  this  time  the  feel- 
ing between  the  Mormons  and  Gentiles  had  been 
very  friendly,  the  fishermen  being  glad  to  have  the 
Island  settled  with  a  good  peaceful  people  as  they 
had  until  now  seemed  to  be.  Mr.  Peter  McKinley 
at  the  Point  was  now  suffering  considerable  losses 
by  the  Mormons  taking  his  cattle  and  butchering 
them,  also  other  goods  which  they  were  taking.  A 
young  man,  or  boy,  Wheelock  by  name,  told  or  gave 
information  about  the  butchering  of  the  cattle.    He 


76  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

being  a  Mormon  boy  employed  by  Mr.  McKinley, 
had  to  suffer  the  penalty  by  receiving  fifty  stripes 
with  the  "blue  beaches,"  that  being  one  kind  of 
their  punishments.  We  had  never  heard  before  of 
the  Mormons  doing  anything  of  this  kind  to  their 
people.  The  boy  had  told  the  truth  and  had  to 
suffer  the  cruel  whipping. 

WHIPPING    OF    THOMAS    BEDFORD. 

A  man  by  the  name  of  Thomas  Bedford  was 
employed  by  Mr.  Peter  McKinley.  He  also  gave 
some  information  about  the  stealing  of  property  by 
the  Mormons,  and  he  also  received  seventy-five  of 
the  cruel  stripes  with  the  ''blue  beaches."  For  this 
awful  treatment  Mr.  Bedford  swore  revenge.  The 
Mormons  never  proved  that  Mr.  Bedford  had 
given  any  information  about  their  stealing  goods 
from  Mr.  McKinley,  but  just  concluded  he  had  and 
gave  him  the  awful  punishment.  So  Bedford  bided 
his  time  for  revenge. 

Strang  had  now  a  great  number  around  him 
who  sought  his  favor  and  were  ever  ready  to  do 
his  bidding  and  many  times  did  things  he  did  not 
sanction.  There  were  some  good,  kind,  peaceable 
people  that  knew  nothing  about  the  working  of  the 
inner  circle  that  surrounded  the  king.  There  was 
one  apostle  that  aimed  to  take  the  King's  place  and 
be  ruler  himself.  He  was  a  cruel  and  crafty  man. 
He  took  charge  of  all  things  among  the  people  in 
Strang's  absence. 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  77 

BUILDING  TEMPLE  AND  PRINTING  OFFICE. 

The  Mormons  were  now  building  a  temple  after 
the  pattern  of  the  one  at  Kirtland,  Ohio,  and  I  be- 
lieve of  the  same  size.  They  had  already  built  a 
saw  mill  so  they  could  manufacture  their  own 
lumber.  They  had  built  a  large  building  made  of 
logs  hewn  on  both  sides.  This  was  fitted  up  as  a 
printing  office  and  Strang  edited  a  paper  called  the 
"Northern  Islander."  The  printing  office  still  re- 
mains and  was  turned  into  a  hotel  and  is  known  as 
the  Gibson  House  of  St.  James.  The  Mormons 
were  a  very  busy  people.  Those  that  were  improv- 
ing their  farms  and  building  their  homes  had  noth- 
ing to  do,  as  a  rule,  with  the  making  of  Strang's 
laws.  He  had  his  council  men,  his  twelve  apostles, 
besides  elders  under  the  apostles,  members  of  the 
households  of  twelve.  They  did  the  voting  and  had 
all  to  do  with  making  the  laws,  that  is  the  laws  that 
governed  the  conduct  of  their  people.  Strang  had 
the  revelations  and  the  council  of  twelve  voted  it 
a  law.  And  they  had  the  power  to  enforce  the  law 
and  punish  any  who  disobeyed.  So  far  the  King 
had  preached  against  polygamy  and  said  that  it 
should  not  be  allowed,  although  there  were  a  num- 
ber of  Mormons  that  had  a  number  of  wives 
apiece.  Strang  allowed  it  to  be  so,  as  he  said  they 
had  practiced  the  law  according  to  Joseph  Smith's 
doctrine,  and  having  several  wives  apiece  he  told 
them  they  might  keep  them,  but  that  no  more  should 
be  taken.  So  the  men  who  had  more  than  one  wife 
kept  them.    Strang  had  many  people  now  to  control, 


78  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

every  boat  during  the  summer  season  brought  more 
converts,  as  he  had  several  apostles  traveling  con- 
stantly about  the  country  making  new  converts  to 
their  faith.  Strang  instructed  them  to  make  all 
things  to  appear  at  its  best,  so  the  people  were  made 
to  believe  the  Island  was  truly  the  "promised  land." 

Strang's  revelation  of  polygamy. 

Now  the  King  had  a  new  revelation  that  poly- 
gamy must  be  practiced.  When  he  made  it  known 
to  his  people  it  gave  them  a  great  shock,  as  their 
minds  had  been  made  up  that  this  was  not  to  be. 
Strang  very  soon  obeyed  the  "Divine  Command"  by 
taking  a  spiritual  wife,  or  as  the  Mormons  called  it, 
"being  sealed."  Mrs.  Strang,  his  wife,  packed  her 
clothing  and  taking  her  three  children  with  her,  left 
the  Island,  never  coming  back  to  live  with  him 
again.  Strang  was  absent  when  she  left,  so  she  met 
with  no  opposition.  She  came  back  to  the  Island 
twice  during  his  absence,  gathering  the  people  to- 
gether in  the  temple,  talking  and  pointing  out  to 
them  the  error  of  practicing  such  a  doctrine,  and 
both  times  she  came  she  burned  the  robes  which  the 
King  wore  when  preaching  in  the  temple.  Mrs. 
Mary  Strang  was  greatly  loved  by  all  his  people 
that  knew  her.  Of  course  the  King  was  not  pleased 
with  the  interference  of  Mrs.  Strang. 

"CHARLES  DOUGLAS." 

The  King  now  took  one  of  his  young  wives,  had 
her  dressed  in  man's  apparel  and  travel  about  with 
him  seeking  after  more  converts.     The  name  he 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  79 

gave  her  was  "Charles  Douglas."  He  made  a  great 
joke  of  this,  and  boasted  "Charles"  was  the  best 
worker  he  ever  had.  If  Strang  was  magnetic 
"Charles  Douglas"  was  irresistible.  She  was  a 
beautiful  woman  and  extremely  fine  looking  when 
dressed  as  "Charles  Douglas."  I  saw  Strang  and 
"Douglas"  once  together.  One  of  the  Mormon 
apostles  was  living  neighbor  to  us.  Mother  had 
sent  me  on  an  errand  to  their  house.  Strang  and 
his  companion  came  there  to  dinner.  Both  were 
dressed  in  plain  black  suits,  wearing  high  silk  hats, 
which  was  the  fashion.  Both  were  smiling  and 
talking  very  pleasantly  together.  Of  course  I  sup- 
posed it  was  a  young  man  with  Strang,  but  the 
apostle's  wife  told  mother  about  it  later. 

A    MAN    WITH    SEVERAL   WIVES. 

There  was  one  family  living  at  the  harbor  set- 
tlement who  kept  a  boarding  house.  This  man 
had  four  wives.  Gentiles  as  well  as  Mormons 
boarded  with  him,  and  many  were  the  jokes  the 
man  had  about  his  wives,  saying  he  had  no  need 
of  hired  girls,  as  he  had  wives  enough  to  do  his 
work.  My  father  was  often  there  to  take  his 
meals,  and  once  I  remember  mother  was  with  him 
and  took  me.  One  of  the  wives  was  a  French 
woman.  Mother  talked  with  her  in  her  own  lan- 
guage and  she  said  she  was  tired  of  that  life.  She 
not  being  a  favorite  wife  had  too  much  work  to  do. 
She  had  four  small  children.  When  the  other 
women  saw  her  talking  to  mother  in  French  they 
seemed  not  to  like  it,  thinking  perhaps  she  was  talk- 


80  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

ing  about  them.  As  soon  as  they  came  into  the 
room  the  French  woman  began  to  sing  as  though 
she  was  very  happy.  At  another  time,  when  she 
was  sick  and  my  mother  was  taking  care  of  her,  she 
.said,  ''Only  for  the  love  I  have  for  my  children  I 
would  take  poison."  Many  women  that  we  met 
were  very  cheerful  and  pleasant,  while  there  were 
many  more  with  very  sad  faces  and  manner.  When 
our  people  first  lived  neighbors  to  the  Mormons 
they  were  very  friendly  and  talked  about  their  work. 
As  soon  as  they  began  to  take  things  from  us  they 
became  silent  and  did  not  appear  to  care  to  meet 
us  any  more.  There  were  a  few  who  never  changed 
toward  us  and  proved  friends  to  the  last,  although 
they  had  to  appear  sometimes  to  be  our  enemies. 

bob's  death. 

One  morning  I  missed  Bob.  I  always  ran  to  see 
him  when  I  first  got  up.  Sometimes  it  was  very 
hard  for  Bob  to  walk,  and  when  the  warm  spring 
sunshine  came  our  boys  and  grandpa  would  put  Bob 
in  a  nice  place  to  lay.  Now  I  could  not  find  him,  and 
when  I  saw  mother  I  saw  that  she  had  been  weep- 
ing and  was  now  silent  when  I  asked  her  about  Bob. 
I  ran  over  to  Auntie  Loaney's.  There  was  grandpa. 
He  was  sobbing  as  if  his  heart  would  break  and  our 
boys  were  trying  to  comfort  him  by  telling  him 
Bob  had  not  suffered  a  moment.  Then  I  realized. 
Bob,  my  old  friend,  was  dead,  and  I  sobbed,  "Oh, 
boys,  what  made  you  kill  Bob  ?"  Then  they  tried  to 
explain.  I  could  not  listen,  I  could  not  understand 
why  it  should  be  done.     Then  Auntie  and  Uncle 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  81 

Loaney  said,  ''Now  dear  children  do  not  grieve, 
poor  old  Bob  was  too  old  to  live  any  longer.  It  is 
best  his  sufferings  are  over/'  We  were  all  sad  over 
the  faithful  dog's  death.  It  was  several  weeks  be- 
fore grandpa  and  I  could  feel  it  was  for  the  best. 
We  buried  him  where  the  birds  sang  first  in  the 
spring. 

Father  now  thought  it  best  to  move  to  the  head 
of  the  island,  his  work  being  there  with  Mr.  Cable. 
We  were  beginning  to  fear  the  Mormons,  as  they 
had  greatly  changed  toward  us.  In  their  travels 
up  and  down  the  island  they  most  always  stopped 
at  our  house.  And  sometimes  there  would  be  five 
or  six,  and  very  often  they  would  ask  for  a  meal, 
which  we  never  refused  to  give  them.  Very  often 
they  remained  all  night,  and  then  they  were  always 
sure  to  let  us  see  the  big  knives  they  carried  hang- 
ing to  the  belt  they  wore.  Towards  the  last  of  our 
stay  they  carried  a  gun  with  them  as  well.  When 
they  came  to  our  doors  they  never  rapped,  but 
simply  walked  in  and  helped  themselves  to  a  chair. 
We  were  told  by  some  of  their  own  people  who 
were  disgusted  with  Strang's  doctrine  that  these 
men  were  just  obeying  the  King's  commands.  He 
was  trying  to  make  all  the  Gentile  people  know  the 
Mormons  were  to  have  their  own  way  on  the  island. 
Just  as  fast  as  the  Gentiles  moved  away  from  the 
Mormon  settlement  the  Mormons  followed  and  built 
their  homes  near  to  them.  The  Bennett  brothers 
had  already  left  their  home  at  the  harbor  and  gone 
to  the  Gentile  settlement. 


De 


82  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

THE  COUNTY  SEAT  OF  SAINT  JAMES. 

Strang  had  now  got  the  county  organized,  being 
attached  to  Mackinac  county;  later  it  was  changed 
to  Manitou  county.  The  county  seat  and  post  office 
was  at  the  harbor,  named  in  honor  of  the  King 
"Saint  James."  The  island  was  divided  into  three 
districts  and  townships.  The  town  at  the  harbor 
was  named  in  honor  of  the  Indian  Chief  at  Garden 
Island,  town  of  "Peain."  The  district  at  the  head 
of  the  Island  was  called  Gallilee,  the  center,  Troy, 
the  lower,  Enoch.  Strang  was  always  very  kind  to 
the  Indians,  trying  hard  to  have  the  Chief  "Peain" 
give  him  one  of  his  handsome  daughters  for  a  wife, 
which  the  Chief  refused  to  do.  Strang  now  estab- 
lished a  school  for  the  Indians  at  his  own  expense, 
sent  a  young  Mormon  over  to  Garden  Island, 
where  he  taught  school  for  three  years.  At  a  later 
date  the  government  appointed  teachers  and  gave 
many  years  of  schools  to  the  Indians,  my  husband 
being  one  of  the  teachers  appointed.  Chief  "Peain" 
ruled  his  tribe  with  great  kindness  and  firmness.  He 
was  a  man  of  noble  appearance.  Their  tribe  was  the 
Ottawas.  Myself  and  husband  remained  on  their 
island  as  teachers  two  years,  from  '62  to  '64.  Chief 
"Peain"  was  always  the  friend  of  the  Chemokamon 
(white  man.) 

MOUNT  PISGAH  AND  INLAND  LAKES. 

On  Beaver  Island  there  are  six  beautiful  little 
lakes.  Lakes  Genessarett,  Fox  Lake,  Green  Lake. 
These  lakes  are  near  the  head  of  the  Island,  while 
the  other  three.  Font,  Long  and  Round  Lakes,  are 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  83 

near  the  harbor.  Font  Lake  is  where  the  Mormons 
baptized  their  people,  also  held  their  yearly  feasts. 
It  is  a  pretty  spot  with  a  long  narrow  point  reaching 
out  into  the  Lake.  This  lovely  lake  is  about  half  a 
mile  distant  from  the  harbor.  Long  Lake  is  just  a 
short  distance  beyond.  That,  too,  is  a  beautiful 
spot.  Its  high  land  on  one  side  is  covered  with 
heavy  hardwood  timber  and  great  quantities  of  fish 
are  in  Long  Lake.  Just  a  short  distance  from  Long 
Lake  is  "Mount  Pisgah,"  a  high  sand  mountain. 
One  can  look  down  into  the  harbor  from  its  top. 
That,  too,  has  beautiful  scenery  all  about  it. 

The  group  of  islands  near  Beaver  Island  can  be 
seen  from  "Mount  Pisgah."  High  Island,  Trout 
Island,  Squaw  Island,  which  now  has  a  fine  light- 
house erected  upon  it.  Rabbit  Island  and  Garden 
Island,  with  Hog  Island  ofif  nine  miles  to  the  east. 
All  these  Islands  show  from  this  mountain,  and  on 
a  clear  day  it  is  a  beautiful  sight  to  look  upon.  Lake 
Michigan,  with  its  dark  blue  waters,  with  so  many 
pretty  islands  covered  with  green  trees,  and  the 
white  pebbly  and  sandy  beaches,  where  the  white  sea 
gulls  are  constantly  soaring  about  or  resting  upon 
the  water.  The  island  was  very  beautiful  when  the 
Mormons  first  went  there.  At  that  time  no  timber 
had  been  cut  off.  One  can  appreciate  its  beauty  only 
by  going  out  into  its  center  and  among  its  pretty 
lakes.  When  my  people  first  came  there  to  live  there 
were  still  traces  left  of  the  "Beaver  dams"  where  the 
busy  beavers  had  made  their  homes  about  the  little 
lakes.    This  is  why  the  island  was  named  "Beaver 


84  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

Island,"   and   sometimes   the   whole   group   comes 
under  the  one  name  of  the  "Beaver  Islands." 

WILD   ANIMALS   AND   BIRDS. 

At  one  time  whik  I  lived  on  the  island  there 
were  several  deer  supposed  to  have  come  across 
the  ice  from  the  north  shore.  There  was  an  abun- 
dance of  wild  duck,  pigeons,  partridges  and  wild 
birds  of  many  different  kinds.  Foxes  were  plenti- 
ful, both  grey  and  red,  and  once  and  a  while  a  black 
fox.  Lynx  and  wild  cats  were  seen,  and  one  old 
hunter  declared  he  heard  a  "panther."  These  wild 
animals  traveled  many  times  across  the  ice  in  win- 
ter time  from  the  north  shore,  and  very  often  the 
foxes  crossed  from  one  island  to  another  in  the 
winter.  At  this  date  there  are  no  wild  animals,  un- 
less there  might  be  some  wild  cats.  I  saw  a  wild 
cat  that  was  shot  there  in  1882.  One  great  reason 
that  made  the  island  so  desirable  a  place  to  live  at 
that  time  was  its  splendid  fishing  grounds.  No  one 
need  to  be  without  money  in  those  days.  Fish  al- 
ways brought  a  good  price,  and  at  the  time  of  our 
Civil  war  brought  a  very  high  price.  There  were 
many  large  cooper  shops  run.  These  furnished  bar- 
rels to  the  fishermen  to  pack  and  salt  their  fish  in. 
The  cooper  trade  was  followed  by  a  great  many 
men.  They  came  to  the  island  from  the  cities  to 
work  through  the  summer  season,  then  going  home 
again  for  the  winter.  The  climate  being  so  pure 
many  recovered  their  health  that  had  lost  it.  At  the 
present  time  the  barrel  trade  is  a  thing  of  the  past. 
Fish  are  packed  in  ice  and  shipped  to  the  market 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  85 

fresh.  Changes  have  come  to  Beaver  Island  as  w^ell 
as  everywhere  else.  Still  it  will  always  be  ''Beaver 
Island." 

MRS.   BENNETT  STARTING  TO  CROSS  THE  LAKE. 

Thomas  Bennett  was  living  near  to  Cable's  dock. 
There  were  several  families  at  the  little  settlement. 
Some  came  from  Canada,  others  were  summer  peo- 
ple going  home  in  the  fall.  Mrs.  Bennett  and  her 
three  children  were  going  on  a  visit  across  the  lake. 
Her  people  lived  at  Cross  Village.  Her  father  and 
mother  came  with  their  own  boat  to  take  her  with 
them.  I  remember  so  well  the  morning  she  left 
us.  We  all  felt  sorry  to  see  her  go.  Mr.  Bennett 
was  a  fond  father  and  kind  husband.  His  wife  and 
children  were  everything  to  him.  There  were  three 
little  girls,  the  eldest  five,  the  next  three  years,  and 
the  baby  six  months.  Preparations  were  made  the 
evening  before  for  an  early  start.  Father,  mother 
and  I  went  to  the  beach  to  see  them  off.  It  was 
hard  for  Mr.  Bennett  to  let  them  go.  He  kissed  his 
children  many  times,  then  his  wife,  and  he  said, 
"Isabel,  how  can  I  let  you  go.  Come  back  to  the 
house,  you  must  not  go."  She  felt  very  sad,  saying, 
*'Yes,  Thomas,  I  know  you  will  miss  us,  and  I  will 
not  stay  so  long  as  I  was  going  to.  I  will  come  back 
in  a  week."  Good-bys  were  said,  little  hands  waved 
and  the  boat  went  sailing  out  over  the  rippling 
waves.  Mrs.  Bennett  held  the  baby  high  in  her 
arms  for  her  papa  to  see,  little  white  handkerchiefs 
were  fluttered  as  far  as  we  could  see  them.  Some- 
how we  all  felt  sad.     Mr.  Bennett  walked  on  the 


86  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

shore  saying,  "Oh,  my  wife,  my  children.  Why  did 
I  let  them  go?  I  shall  never  see  them  more."  We 
tried  to  comfort  him,  but  we  could  not.  As  the 
darkness  came  on  and  the  wind  blew  fiercer  our 
hearts  grew  heavy.  Mr.  Bennett  walked  all  night 
on  the  shore  and  my  father  with  him.  I  lay  in  my 
bed  listening  to  the  sound  of  the  sullen  roar  of  the 
sea  as  the  breakers  dashed  high  on  the  beach.  At 
times  it  seemed  the  waves  would  never  stop  their 
rolling  until  they  swept  us  away.  They  came  so 
near  our  door  once  or  twice  I  went  to  the  window 
to  look  out,  and  nothing  but  a  sheet  of  white  foam 
could  be  seen.  At  times  it  was  like  the  sound  of 
distant  thunder  as  the  waves  broke  and  washed 
about  us.  All  the  next  day  the  sky  was  dark,  the 
waves  had  a  moaning,  sobbing  sound  that  was  very 
sad  to  hear.  We  waited  two  days,  then  the 
messengers  came  over  from  Cross  Village.  Two 
Indians  were  sent  with  a  letter  from  the  Catholic 
priest  telling  all  he  could  of  the  sad  accident. 

Early  the  next  morning  after  the  storm  some 
Indians  at  Cross  Village  went  to  the  beach  to  see  if 
their  canoes  were  all  secure.  The  first  object  they 
saw  was  the  boat  of  their  neighbor  drifting  along 
the  shore.  No  one  was  to  be  seen  in  the  boat.  They 
waited  until  the  boat  came  in  reach  so  they  could 
pull  it  out  from  the  breakers  that  still  ran  high. 
The  boat  was  almost  full  of  water.  They  took  the 
water  out  as  soon  as  possible,  and  in  among  the 
quilts  lay  little  three-year-old  Rebecca.  She  still 
breathed,  her  body  was  warm.  The  Indians  in  their 
excitement  delayed  taking  the  child  to  the  house, 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  87 

thinking  there  might  be  more  bodies  washed  upon 
the  shore.  They  carried  the  child  to  the  good 
priest's  house  and  everything  that  human  power 
could  do  was  done  to  save  the  child,  but  it  was  too 
late,  ''Baby  Rebecca  had  gone  to  join  the  angels." 

Oh  the  sadness,  it  was  hard.  It  seemed  some- 
times Mr.  Bennett  could  not  survive  the  shock. 
None  of  the  other  bodies  were  ever  recovered.  Mrs. 
Bennett  was  a  very  beautiful  woman  with  a  sweet, 
loving  disposition. 

THE  king's  residence. 

About  this  time  King  Strang  decided  to  build 
a  residence  for  himself.  He  made  the  plans  and 
called  it  the  ''King's  Cottage."  The  King  came  to 
our  house  asking  my  father  to  go  to  the  harbor  and 
help  build  his  house.  He  wanted  him  to  do  the 
framing,  and  father,  not  being  very  busy,  and  not 
liking  to  refuse  the  King,  went.  Father  was  gone 
about  six  weeks,  coming  home  often  to  see  how  we 
were  at  home.  He  boarded  at  the  house  where  there 
were  four  wives.  The  King's  Cottage  was  built 
very  strong.  A  story  and  a  half  high  with  a  porch 
across  the  front.  The  wide  hall  went  right  through 
the  center,  with  massive  strong  doors  at  front  and 
back,  and  with  an  open  stairway.  On  each  side  of 
the  hall  was  a  large  room,  two  bedrooms,  hall  and 
closets  upstairs.  A  white  picket  fence  about  the 
yard  with  a  nice  garden  spot  on  the  hillside.  It 
was  a  pleasant,  cosey  home,  and  the  location  was 
most  beautiful,  looking  out  on  the  harbor  and  Lake 
Michigan.    The  house  was  in  the  midst  of  a  lovely 


88  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA:  AND 

grove  of  forest  trees,  maple,  beach,  oak  and  scatter- 
ing evergreens.  The  cottage  was  built  under  the 
small  hill  or  terrace  on  a  level  flat  and  just  a  short 
distance  from  the  docks  and  stores.  When  we  ar- 
rived after  the  Mormons  had  left  the  island  the 
house  was  in  good  repair.  My  father  and  mother 
occupied  it  two  years,  being  the  first  ones  to 
live  in  it  after  Strang's  death.  Strang  had  started 
a  large  addition  to  the  cottage  before  he  died,  which 
was  much  larger  than  the  cottage  itself.  The  ad- 
dition was  put  at  the  back  of  the  main  building, 
made  of  logs  hewed  on  both  sides,  containing 
eight  rooms.  But  like  the  cottage  itself,  has  gone 
to  decay.  Strang  remarked,  "I  am  getting  so  many 
wives  I  have  to  enlarge  my  house." 

While  father  was  there  Strang  invited  him  to 
dinner  one  day  in  his  own  home,  as  he  said  he 
wanted  him  to  see  how  a  man  could  get  along  with 
several  wives.  My  father  went  and  had  a  fine  din- 
ner, and  Strang  was  very  gay,  entertained  with 
many  jokes  ^nd  stories.  The  four  wives  had  very 
little  to  say,  but  were  smiling  and  pleasant  and 
seemed  very  anxious  to  please  the  King. 

THE   king's  jokes. 

Strang  joked  about  soon  adding  some  more 
wives  and  soon  starting  a  school  for  his  own  child- 
ren, at  which  they  all  laughed.  He  talked  continu- 
ally, trying  to  have  them  all  know  that  he  was  the 
king  and  having  authority  to  rule  his  subjects  as  he 
pleased.  When  dinner  was  ended  they  went  to  the 
new  cottage,  Strang  and  the  favorite  wife,  the  other 
three  women  remained  at  home.    Father  said  none 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  89 

of  the  other  women  ever  came  with  Strang  to  see 
how  the  work  progressed,  only  this  one  that  he 
most  always  called  "Charles."  Father  said  this  young 
woman  was  very  pleasant  and  greatly  pleased  with 
the  house.  Strang  seemed  very  affectionate  to  this 
wife.  Every  pleasant  day  they  were  walking  about 
together.  When  father  came  home  he  said  he  was 
glad  to  be  home  again.  They  were  all  very  kind 
to  him,  but  it  seemed  terrible  to  see  people  live  in 
that  way.  He  told  mother  the  women  had  sad  faces 
when  people  saw  them  at  their  work.  When 
Strang  came  again  he  said  to  mother,  *'I  am  going  to 
make  a  Mormon  of  your  husband  and  what  will  you 
do  when  he  brings  home  more  wives  ?"  Mother  said 
"I  hope  that  will  never  happen,  and  if  it  should  the 
women  that  come  into  my  home  will  not  have  a 
happy  time."  Strang  looked  at  her  saying,  "We 
could  find  a  way  to  make  everything  agreeable  in 
a  very  short  time."  Then  he  laughed,  saying,  "If 
you  were  a  Mormon,  Mrs.  Whitney,  you  would 
think  differently  about  these  things.  We  believe  in 
this  doctrine  and  that  is  why  we  are  happy."  Mo- 
ther said  to  him,  "Now  you  can't  make  me  believe 
you  are  as  happy  as  you  want  us  to  think  you  are." 
He  said  no  more  and  appeared  thoughtful.  After 
he  was  gone  mother  said  to  father,  "Do  take  us 
away  from  this  island.  I  am  afraid  of  that  man. 
No  one  knows  what  he  may  do  yet." 

THE  king's  laws. 

The  King  was  very  particular  about  the  appear- 
ance of  his  peoples'  homes.    The  houses  were  built 


90  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

of  logs  hewed  on  both  sides  and  all  were  white- 
washed outside  as  well  as  in.  Their  yards  were  all 
laid  out  with  care  and  taste,  with  flowers  and  shrubs, 
and  nice  vegetable  gardens  at  the  back,  which  gave 
all  a  homelike  appearance.  No  liquor,  tea,  coffee  or 
tobacco  were  to  be  used.  There  were  men  sent  out 
every  day  to  see  that  all  refuse  of  fish  was  buried 
deep  in  the  ground.  He  exacted  a  tax  from  the  fish- 
ermen all  along  the  shore  of  ten  dollars  for  each 
boat,  and  as  there  were  always  a  large  number  of 
boats,  this  added  quite  a  little  income  to  the  King's 
treasury.  All  paid  without  hard  feelings,  as  money 
was  plenty  and  no  one  cared  to  have  trouble  with  the 
King.  The  Bennetts  would  not  pay  the  tax. 
Thomas  Bennett  felt  he  had  been  greatly  wronged 
about  his  home,  having  to  leave  his  land  as  his  Mor- 
mon neighbors  had  made  it  so  unpleasant  for  them, 
besides  he  felt  Strang  had  no  right  to  collect  the  tax 
from  the  fishermen.  At  any  rate  he  refused  to  pay 
when  Strang  sent  his  men  to  collect  it  and  the  feel- 
ings between  them  were  not  very  friendly. 

OUR  MORMON   NEIGHBORS. 

The  winter  of  185 1  my  brother  Lewis  went  to 
Ohio  to  school ;  my  father  was  very  sick  that  winter. 
We  had  two  Mormon  neighbors  that  were  very  kind 
to  us.  One  was  a  good  doctor,  and  he  took  care  of 
father  almost  constantly  with  help  from  others. 
The  other  Mormon  friend  was  an  apostle  in  the 
church.  He  and  his  wife  lived  near  us.  He  had 
charge  of  the  people  that  lived  near  the  Gentile 
settlement.     They   were   very   nice   people.     Both 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  91 

these  neighbors  were  very  much  worried  about  the 
things  Strang  was  preaching.  The  people  were 
getting  restless  and  divided.  Many  wanted  to 
leave  the  island  but  had  no  means  to  go  with,  and 
feared  to  be  punished  if  found  trying  to  get  away. 
A  great  many  were  opposed  to  polygamy.  Strang 
tried  to  keep  his  people  in  harmony  together,  but 
the  strife  was  growing  every  day.  In  the  early 
spring  Strang  came  to  see  my  father.  He  was  very 
sympathetic  about  his  being  so  sick.  Mother  told  him 
how  kind  Mr.  Bower  and  Mr.  Sinclair  had  been 
to  us.  He  seemed  greatly  pleased  and  asked  to 
know  if  he  could  do  anything  to  help. 

STRANG   AND    HIS   FAVORITE    WIFE. 

When  he  was  leaving  he  said  to  mother,  "Come 
over  to  Sinclair's.  My  wife  is  there.  We  have  a 
nice  baby.  Come  and  see  our  baby  boy."  Mother 
took  me  with  her  to  the  apostle's  home.  There  we 
saw  the  King  and  his  favorite  wife,  Charles  Doug- 
las, and  their  baby.  I,  being  fond  of  babies,  wanted 
to  hold  him.  I  sat  in  a  little  chair  and  the  mother 
put  the  child  in  my  arms.  The  King  was  afraid  I 
would  let  the  baby  fall.  He  never  let  go  the  child's 
dress.  He  seemed  very  fond  of  the  child,  and  it 
was  plain  to  be  seen  that  this  was  his  favorite  wife. 
Most  of  the  time  he  called  her  ''Charles"  and  some- 
times Elvira.  She  was  very  sweet  and  seemed  very 
fond  of  her  baby,  yet  her  face  seemed  sad  when 
not  smiling.  Her  manner  was  quiet  and  her 
voice  low.  Before  we  left  Strang  took  me  on  his 
lap,  asking  if  I  did  not  want  to  go  to  school.     I 


92  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA ;  AND 

stammered  ''Yes/'  but  mother  said  she  is  too  young 
yet  to  go  to  school.  When  we  came  home  mother 
said  to  father,  "Don't  you  ever  consent  to  send 
EHzabeth  to  the  Mormon  school."  Strang  had  re- 
mained on  the  island  that  winter. 

Very  soon  after  our  visit  to  the  apostle,  we  were 
startled  one  morning  to  hear  several  boats  and  nets 
had  been  taken  by  the  Mormons,  with  many  bar- 
rels of  fish  from  the  store  houses  near  the  light- 
house point  at  the  head  of  the  island.  Some  Ohio 
fishermen  had  stored  their  fish  and  other  property 
expecting  to  come  back  in  the  spring,  leaving  a 
man  to  look  after  the  property.  The  ice  was  just 
breaking  up  in  the  lake.  The  Mormons  took  every- 
thing to  the  harbor.  Our  people  saw  them  passing 
very  early  in  the  morning.  All  were  well  armed 
and  ready  to  resist  any  interference  from  the 
Gentiles.  We  Gentiles  were  very  frightened,  fear- 
ing they  would  take  our  provisions  from  us,  as 
there  were  all  sorts  of  rumors.  Mr.  Cable  had  a 
store  with  a  stock  of  all  kinds  of  merchandise  for 
their  spring  trade.  He  feared  they  would  demand 
the  keys  and  take  possession  of  his  goods.  There 
was  very  little  sleep  for  several  nights  among  us. 
Our  Mormon  friends  who  were  true  to  us  advised 
us  all  to  keep  very  quiet  and  not  be  seen  talking 
with  them.  They  kept  us  posted  as  much  as  pos- 
sible. The  Gentiles  made  preparations  to  defend 
themselves.  The  Mormons  took  the  boats  and  nets 
to  the  north  shore,  concealing  them  in  the  woods, 
making  it  appear  the  north  shore  fishermen  did  the 
plundering.    The  owners  of  the  property  recovered 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  93 

the  boats  and  part  of  the  nets,  but  never  recovered 
any  of  the  fish.  They  were  sold  by  the  Mormons. 
At  the  harbor  all  was  gaiety.  Their  theater  was 
kept  going  to  amuse  the  people  with  dancing  parties 
every  week.  The  King  made  it  a  point  to  entertain 
the  sailors  when  vessels  were  detained  by  rough, 
weather,  and  they  began  to  think  Beaver  Harbor  was 
not  a  bad  place  to  be  weather-bound.  They  found 
King  Strang  a  charming  entertainer.  With  open- 
ing of  navigation  the  summer  people  came,  and  our 
house  was  again  full  of  boarders.  We  had  built 
a  comfortable  house,  which  was  almost  complete. 
Our  regular  boats  were  calling,  business  had  started 
up  and  we  all  felt  more  secure  from  the  Mormons 
as  so  many  people  were  coming.  Fishing  was  good, 
money  plenty  and  everybody  was  busy.  Strang 
had  gone  with  his  wife  and  child  to  attend  outside 
affairs.  The  head  apostle  was  in  charge  of  every- 
thing and  there  was  much  dissatisfaction  among 
many  of  his  people.  Several  felt  fear  for  their  life, 
if  they  disobeyed  the  King's  command.  Among 
these  was  the  Apostle  Sinclair. 

THE   KILLING  OF  BENNETT. 

The  Bennetts  were  living  not  a  great  distance 
from  us.  Sam,  as  the  younger  brother  was  called, 
had  married  a  young  lady  from  Detroit,  a  Miss 
Sullivan.  Thomas  now  boarded  at  his  brother's 
home,  and  was  still  very  sad  over  the  loss  of  his 
wife  and  children.  I  had  been  visiting  a  week 
with  Mrs.  Bennett  and  returned  home  in  the  morn- 
ing.   In  the  afternoon  a  message  came  to  our  house 


94  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

saying  that  Thomas  Bennett  was  dead.  The  Mor- 
mons had  shot  him.  It  was  hard  to  beHeve,  yet  it 
was  true.  The  Gentiles  were  very  much  excited 
and  sorrowful,  too,  as  Bennett  had  been  a  favorite 
with  us  all.  Could  it  be  possible  they  had  killed 
our  friend  and  neighbor? 

My  three  brothers  were  dressed  in  their  Sun- 
day suits  and  walked  to  the  harbor,  grandpa  going 
with  them,  fearing  something  might  happen  to  the 
boys.  Bennett  had  always  been  very  fond  of  my 
brothers  and  they  loved  him.  Now,  they  must  see 
him  buried.  It  was  long  after  dark  before  they 
reached  the  harbor.  A  Mormon  family,  who  had 
some  boys  about  their  age,  kept  them  all  night.  The 
next  morning  they  went  to  where  the  body  was.  It 
had  been  put  in  a  blacksmith's  shop.  Dr.  McCul- 
loch  opened  the  body  to  see  which  of  the  seven  bul- 
lets had  proved  fatal.  One  had  pierced  the  heart. 
The  body  was  put  in  a  plain  pine  coffin  and  buried 
without  prayer  or  ceremony  of  any  kind.  The 
grave  was  near  the  water  in  a  little  grove  of  cedar 
trees  where  the  sound  of  the  waves  never  ceased 
their  solemn  murmurings.  When  my  brothers  vis- 
ited the  grave  soon  after  it  was  piled  high  with 
great  rocks,  meaning  that  every  Gentile  would  be 
served  the  same  unless  they  obeyed  the  king's  com- 
mands. 

TO   BE  BROUGHT  DEAD  OR  ALIVE. 

The  killing  of  Bennett  was  a  great  shock  to  all 
our  people,  as  no  one  believed  the  Mormons  would 
carry  things  so  far.     The  Bennetts  had  gone  early 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  95 

on  the  lake,  returning  before  noon.  While  attend- 
ing to  their  work  in  their  workhouse  two  Mormon 
men  stepped  in,  demanding  the  tax  money.  Ben- 
nett answered,  "  I  want  to  see  the  king  before  I 
pay  it."  The  men  went  away.  The  Bennetts 
stepped  out  to  go  to  their  dwelling,  when  seven 
bullets  were  fired  at  once  into  the  body  of  Thomas 
Bennett.  He  dropped  dead  instantly.  The  brother 
ran  toward  his  house  with  his  hand  up  to  his  head. 
Bullets  came  thick  and  fast  around  him.  He  was 
shot  through  the  hand,  shattering  all  his  fingers  on 
one  hand.  There  were  many  shots  entered  the  win- 
dows. Mrs.  Bennett  to  save  her  life  had  to  go  into 
the  cellar. 

The  body  of  Bennett  was  put  into  his  own  boat 
with  all  the  fish  there  was  in  the  fish  house,  which 
amounted  to  considerable  money,  and  taking  the 
wounded  brother  with  them  to  the  harbor.  There 
the  doctor  dressed  his  wound.  Strang  always  de- 
clared he  never  gave  orders  to  have  Bennett  killed 
or  to  be  brought  "  dead  or  alive."  Until  the  killing 
of  Bennett  we  could  not  believe  the  Mormons  meant 
to  do  us  bodily  harm.  Now  all  was  changed.  There 
was  no  more  open  friendship  between  Mormons  and 
Gentiles  as  before.  They  avoided  us,  passing  us 
without  speaking  with  their  heads  bent  and  eyes 
looking  to  the  ground.  They  seemed  a  sad  and 
silent  people. 

Not  long  after  Bennett's  death  I  saw  the  king 
coming  to  our  house.  The  very  name  of  Strang 
struck  a  terror  to  my  heart.  I  felt  so  afraid  of 
them  all  now.    He  was  almost  to  the  door,  dressed 


%  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

in  his  black  suit  and  high  hat,  I  always  recognized 
him  from  the  rest.  I  said  to  mother,  "  Oh,  where 
shall  I  go,  I  am  so  afraid  of  Strang?"  Mother's 
bedstead  was  a  high,  old-fashioned  one  with  white 
curtains  about  it.  I  ran  and  had  just  time  to  seat 
myself  under  it,  and  tried  hard  to  pull  the  curtains 
around  me,  but  my  feet  were  left  sticking  out  from 
under  the  curtain. 

STRANG  HAVING  DINNER  WITH   US. 

Strang  walked  in,  seating  himself  in  a  chair, 
saying:  "Good  morning,  Mrs.  Whitney."  Mother 
greeted  him  very  coolly,  as  she  had  not  seen  him 
since  Bennett's  death.  How  my  heart  did  beat  when 
he  asked  where  my  father  was.  Then  I  was  sure  he 
wanted  to  take  me  away  to  the  harbor  to  school. 
Mother  told  him  father  would  soon  be  in  to  dinner, 
which  she  was  then  preparing.  Strang  said :  "I 
guess  I  will  stay  to  dinner,  Mrs.  "Whitney,  and 
have  some  of  your  nice  baked  whitefish,  which  I 
see  you  have."  He  saw  her  putting  it  into  the  oven. 
He  talked  about  many  things  and  after  a  little  while 
he  said,  "Where  is  your  little  girl?"  Then  I  was 
sure  he  would  take  me  away.  I  wanted  to  scream, 
but  kept  quiet.  Mother  told  him,  "The  child  is 
afraid  of  you  since  you  had  Bennett  killed."  He 
came  over  to  the  bed,  getting  down  on  his  knees, 
saying,  "Come  out,  child;  I  will  not  hurt  you. 
Come  and  sit  on  my  lap."  I  drew  back.  He 
pulled  me  out  by  the  hand,  taking  me  in  his  arms 
and  sitting  in  the  chair  he  stroked  my  hair,  saying : 
"I  will  not  hurt  you,  child.     Do  not  be  afraid  of 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  97 

me."  His  voice  was  low  and  his  face  looked  sad.  I 
looked  at  him  a  long  time,  then  said:  "I  see  blood 
on  your  head.  I  am  afraid  of  you."  He  put  his 
hand  to  his  head,  passing  it  over  his  forehead,  and 
looking  at  his  hand,  he  said :  "I  see  no  blood."  He 
was  very  pale  and  his  face  was  serious.  Mother  ex- 
plained to  him  that  I  had  heard  the  people  say  that 
the  blood  of  Bennett  was  resting  on  Strang's  head. 
I  got  down  from  his  lap  and  took  my  little  chair 
as  far  as  I  could  from  him,  and  holding  my  doll,  I 
watched  the  king,  fearing  him  so  much.  He  told 
mother  he  was  absent  when  Bennett  was  killed. 
She  asked  him  why  he  was  always  absent  when  his 
people  did  the  most  disagreeable  things.  He  said: 
"Do  not  judge  me  too  harshly.  I  am  not  respon- 
sible for  the  killing  of  Bennett."  Father  and  our 
boys  soon  came  in  with  our  friend,  John  Goeing. 
Strang  staid  to  dinner  and  praised  our  boys  for 
being  so  brave  in  going  on  the  lake.  He  said :  "My 
people  will  never  learn  to  be  good  sailors;  they  are 
too  timid."  Then  he  asked  about  the  schooling. 
Father  told  him  John  Goeing,  our  boarder,  was 
teaching  us. 

Father  told  me  in  after  years  he  had  a  very  ser- 
ious talk  with  Strang  that  day,  and  the  king:  ad- 
mitted it  was  not  right  that  Bennett  was  killed,  but 
said  where  there  were  people  that  were  opposite  in 
their  beliefs  there  was  always  trouble.  Mother  told 
him  some  sorrows  would  come  to  him  if  he  per- 
sisted to  live  as  he  was  living.  He  smiled,  saying: 
"Oh,  we  aren't  such  a  bad  people,  after  all,  Mrs. 
Whitney,  and  when  you  become  one  of  us  you  will 


98  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

think  just  as  we  do."  He  shook  hands  and  was 
gone.  Mother  said  to  father:  "I  do  believe  we 
shall  have  to  leave  here  soon  or  we  shall  be  forced 
to  become  Mormons."  Father  assured  her  that 
would  never  be. 

JOHN    GOEING  AND    HIS   DEAR   OLD   IRISH    HOME. 

John  Goeing  came  to  the  island  and  had  been 
with  us  two  years.  He  was  an  educated  and  re- 
fined gentleman  from  Ireland.  His  father  was  a 
rich  Irish  lord.  John  had  been  disappointed  in  love 
and  left  his  "dear  old  Irish  home"  to  come  to  Amer- 
ica. From  a  visit  to  friends  in  Canada  he  had  wan- 
dered to  Beaver  Island,  and  had  been  with  us  ever 
since.  He  was  a  great  reader,  having  a  box  full  of 
books.  He  did  not  work,  and  being  very  fond  of 
us  children  he  took  it  upon  himself  to  teach  us.  He 
received  money  from  home  often,  with  the  finest 
of  broadcloth  suits  of  clothes  with  silk  underwear. 
Every  evening  after  the  lessons  were  heard  John 
would  read  to  us  or  tell  us  about  his  "old  home 
in  Erin."  What  brother  Charley  and  I  loved  most 
was  to  have  John  tell  about  the  chase  with 
hounds.  I  liked  it  all  except  where  the  fox  was 
killed  by  the  dogs,  then  I  would  say,  "John,  can't 
you  tell  some  stories  where  the  fox  gets  away  from 
the  hounds?"  Then  he  smiled,  saying,  "I  won't 
have  the  foxes  killed  any  more.  It  makes  Elizabeth 
feel  too  sorry."  Then  he  would  get  his  books,  say- 
ing, "Now,  children,  where  shall  we  go  tonight? 
England,  Ireland  or  Scotland?"  Sometimes  we  all 
wanted  different  stories.     Then  he  would  say,  "I 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  99 

will  take  you  to  Ireland,  my  own  native  home."  To 
me  it  was  fairyland  to  listen  to  John  telling  of  the 
home  he  had  left,  with  its  lovely  green  parks,  grav- 
eled walks,  shady  bowers^  where  his  father  and 
mother  often  strolled  about  with  their  children.  We 
could  almost  see  it  all  as  he  told  it  to  us,  and  so 
often  when  he  finished  the  tears  would  be  falling 
through  his  fingers  as  his  head  rested  on  his  hands. 
And  the  books,  how  wonderful  were  the  places  he 
took  us  to  in  them !  He  had  traveled  almost  every- 
where and  we  loved  best  to  hear  about  his  travels. 
We  could  understand  it  all  better.  John  was  like 
a  brother  to  us  younger  ones,  and  like  a  kind  son 
to  father  and  mother. 

MY    BROTHER    CHARLEY    GOING    TO    OHIO. 

Summer  was  fast  slipping  away.  Our  summer 
boarders  were  talking  of  home.  One  of  our  board- 
ers, Mr.  William  Hill,  was  anxious  to  take  my 
brother  Charley  home  with  him,  put  him  to  school 
and  teach  him  the  engineer's  trade.  It  was  all  talked 
over  and  settled  that  Charley  was  to  go.  We  chil- 
dren could  not  realize  much  about  what  it  meant. 
My  eldest  brother  had  been  one  winter  with  the 
same  man.  Charley  was  to  remain  with  Mr.  Hill 
until  he  was  twenty-one,  he  being  past  ten  now. 
Papers  were  made  out  and  signed.  Mother  pre- 
pared all  the  clothes  for  her  boy  that  was  going 
away  to  another  home.  I  remember  so  well  seeing 
the  tears  rolling  down  her  cheeks  as  she  sewed 
and  stitched  far  into  the  night,  making  the  little 
jackets  that  Charley  was  to  wear  in  his  far  away 


100  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

new  home.  She  sacrificed  her  own  feeling  that 
her  boy  might  have  an  education,  and  a  good  trade 
when  he  became  a  man.  The  time  had  now  come 
for  Charley  to  go.  Father  and  mother  had  grown 
thin  and  pale.  The  packing  began.  Mother  could 
not  finish  and  neighbors  had  to  come  in  and  finish 
it  for  her. 

BROTHER   LEWIS   AND   I    WERE   GOING   TO   OHIO    WITH 
MR.    CRANE. 

Mr.  Hill  told  her  Charley  could  come  back  to 
see  us  every  summer.  But  somehow  it  seemed  it 
never  would  be  the  same.  Charley  would  never  be 
ours  again.  It  was  terrible  to  think  about  when  the 
time  came  for  them  to  go.  A  letter  came  to  Mr. 
Hill  from  his  sister  in  Painesville,  Ohio,  asking  if 
he  could  not  bring  the  little  sister,  meaning  me, 
that  she  would  like  to  have  a  little  girl  to  be  with 
her  two  small  children.  She  would  send  me  to 
school  and  I  would  be  near  my  brother.  Then  I 
could  come  home  in  the  spring  and  go  back  another 
winter  if  all  was  agreeable.  It  was  at  last  decided 
that  I,  too,  should  go  the  last  trip  of  the  steamer 
Michigan,  in  December. 

BROTHER  CHARLEY  GONE. 

The  steamer  was  at  the  dock.  Good-byes  were 
said.  Charley  was  gone.  The  boat  steamed  away, 
taking  the  first  one  from  the  home  nest.  It  was 
hard  for  mother  to  give  up  her  boy,  but  she  felt 
it  was  best  for  him.  Oh,  how  long  the  time  seemed 
to  me !    No  more  could  we  wander  about  together. 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  101 

Our  little  canoe  lay  idle  upon  the  beach.  There 
was  no  little  brother  to  help  row  the  boat,  or  swing 
in  the  old  swing  from  the  big  maple  tree,  or  chase 
the  plovers  along  the  shore.  Our  little  pet  dog 
was  always  searching  about  for  Charley.  His  bows 
and  arrows  were  put  away  out  of  sight.  The  house 
seemed  still;  it  was  as  if  some  one  lay  dead.  John 
felt  just  as  sad  as  any  of  us.  Our  neighbors  came 
to  cheer  us,  telling  us  we  should  meet  again  when 
the  spring  time  came. 

Mother  still  was  busy  getting  the  rest  of  us 
ready  to  go.  Mr.  Crane  was  our  neighbor.  He 
came  from  the  headlands  near  Fairport,  Ohio.  His 
daughter  Elizabeth  came  with  him  and  her  brother 
to  be  their  housekeeper.  They  owned  a  farm  in 
Ohio.  They  were  a  large  family  and  money  could 
be  earned  easily  at  the  island  as  the  fish  were  so 
plenty.  They  came  with  several  other  Ohio 
families.  Mr.  Crane  was  coming  back  next  season 
and  I  could  return  with  them.  Nearly  all  our  sum- 
mer people  were  gone.  We  had  just  two  left  and 
they  were  going  on  the  last  boat. 

The  Mormons  were  now  taking  boats  and  nets 
every  chance  they  got  and  the  Gentiles  felt  very  un- 
safe. Our  two  Mormon  friends  told  our  people 
there  was  great  trouble  among  them  in  the  Church, 
as  Strang's  laws  were  becoming  unbearable. 

The  weather  had  changed  and  snow  and  ice 
were  now  with  us,  and  brother  Anthony  had  gone  to 
Green  Bay  to  his  uncle  John  Gebeau.  In  another 
week  brother  Lewis  and  I  would  be  gone.  How 
often  I  said  to  John,  "Now  you  will  be  good  to 


102  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

father  and  mother,  won't  you?  for  they  will  have 
no  one  but  you,  and  you  will  read  to  them  and  tell 
them  about  Ireland  and  your  old  home." 

John  promised  all  and  mother  told  me  afterward 
she  never  could  have  lived  through  the  winter  only 
that  John  was  so  kind.  He  read  them  stories,  and 
being  a  good  singer,  he  sang  his  old  native  songs 
of  Ireland.  All  was  ready.  Our  trunks  were 
packed.  Mr.  Crane's  goods  were  on  the  dock.  Fish- 
ing had  been  good  and  those  who  had  not  had  their 
nets  stolen  were  going  home  with  money.  There 
were  about  twenty  families  of  the  Gentiles  to  re- 
main all  winter  at  the  settlement  at  Cable's  dock. 
The  rest  went  to  their  winter  homes. 

I  was  busy  bidding  my  little  playmates  farewell, 
as  the  boat  was  expected  every  hour.  At  last  the 
steamer  was  beside  the  dock.  Elizabeth  Crane  had 
packed  my  trunk,  as  mother  could  not  do  it.  I  had 
my  dolls  packed  and  then  took  them  out,  saying  to 
mother,  "1  will  leave  my  dolls  so  you  can  see  them 
and  you  won't  be  so  lonesome."  When  she  could 
speak  she  said,  ''Yes,  leave  the  dolls.  When  I  look 
at  them  I  shall  think  you  are  near."  So  the  dolls 
were  left  in  their  little  beds  covered  up  with  their 
sheets  and  quilts  just  as  I  always  put  them  to  sleep. 
We  all  ate  our  dinner  together.  It  was  a  sad,  silent 
meal.  Mr.  Crane  and  Elizabeth  were  charged  over 
and  over  again  to  take  good  care  of  me  if  I  should 
be  sick.  They  promised  to  do  all  they  could  for  me. 
Mr.  Crane  said,  'T  shall  take  care  of  your  child  as 
if  she  were  my  own."  I  said  to  John,  "Now  who 
will  go  to  England,  Ireland  and  Scotland  with  you 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  103 

these  long  winter  evenings?"  He  said,  "I  guess  I 
will  have  to  take  your  father  and  mother  with  me 
as  you  children  will  all  be  gone.  "Well  John,  be 
sure  you  take  little  dog  Prince  and  all  the  dolls. 
Don't  leave  them  here  alone."  The  whistle  blew, 
good-byes  were  said,  mother  caught  me  in  her  arms 
with  one  last  long  kiss  and  "God  bless  you,  my 
child."  Mr.  Crane  and  Elizabeth  with  brother  hur- 
ried to  the  boat,  John  and  father  coming  as  the  cap- 
tain shouted  "all  aboard."  Father  kissed  me,  say- 
ing, "Be  a  good  girl,  come  home  in  the  spring  and 
God  bless  you." 

ON   BOARD   STEAMER    MICHIGAN. 

My  hand  slipped  from  his  into  Elizabeth's.  She 
led  me  over  the  gang-plank.  My  little  dog  had  fol- 
lowed me.  He  put  his  paws  upon  my  shoulder  and 
was  licking  the  tears  off  my  face.  Father  called  to 
him,  but  he  would  not  leave  me.  The  men  carried 
him  to  father,  the  plank  was  pulled  in,  the  paddles 
turned  and  we  steamed  away  with  those  on  the  dock 
waving  us  good-by.  Elizabeth  took  me  up  on  deck 
where  brother  and  I  stood  waving  as  long  as  we 
could  see  the  old  home  where  we  had  all  been  so 
happy  together.  We  soon  reached  the  harbor,  we 
landed  at  the  Point  dock  to  take  freight.  Mr.  Mc- 
Kinley  had  taken  his  family  the  trip  before  and  gone 
to  Ohio  for  the  winter,  his  clerk  taking  charge  of 
the  business  in  his  absence.  His  father,  grandpa 
McKinley  as  we  called  him,  came  on  board  to  go 
away  for  the  winter.  He  was  always  so  kind  to  us 
children  and  we  all  loved  him.    It  was  Sunday,  but 


104  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

I  noticed  the  Mormon  women  had  their  washing  on 
the  line,  Saturday  being  their  Sunday. 

We  steamed  away  and  soon  could  see  nothing 
about  us,  as  it  was  snowing  and  the  sea  was  heavy. 
Our  boat  rolled  and  pitched  about  so  no  one  could 
stand  upon  their  feet.  Jane,  the  cabin  maid,  took 
me  to  her  private  cabin  and  let  me  lie  on  her  couch. 
As  I  lay  there  I  began  to  realize  I  was  leaving  my 
home.  It  was  dark,  the  lamps  were  lighted  and  I 
said,  "Oh  I  must  go  home.  I  can't  leave  father 
and  mother."  Elizabeth  took  me  to  her  room,  put- 
ting me  in  her  berth.  There  I  sobbed  myself  to 
sleep. 

AT  MACKINAC  ISLAND. 

When  I  awakened  we  were  at  the  dock  at  Mack- 
inac Island.  Everything  was  white  with  snow.  The 
whole  island  looked  like  white  marble.  The  damp 
snow  had  covered  the  trees.  The  fort  on  the  hill 
looked  so  pretty  where  the  snow  was  on  the  tops  of 
the  houses  and  chimneys.  A  flag  waved  over  the 
fort.  There  were  soldiers  in  their  blue  clothes 
walking  up  and  down  the  fort  hill.  Dogs  and 
ponies  hitched  to  sleds  with  people  dressed  in  fur 
coats,  caps  and  mittens  riding  along  the  front 
street  that  reached  round  the  pretty  bay.  The  dock 
was  full  of  people.  Men,  women  and  children 
nearly  all  speaking  in  French.  There  were  a  num- 
ber of  families  going  away  on  the  last  boat  to  their 
winter  homes.  Elizabeth  took  me  ashore.  We 
went  into  several  stores  and  there  I  met  old  grand- 
pa.    I  told  him  I  was  going  to  see  Charley.     He 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  105 

was  so  pleased  to  see  me  and  cautioned  me  to  be 
careful  not  to  fall  overboard  and  to  be  sure  and 
tell  Charley  grandpa  had  not  forgotten  him.  Then 
he  gave  me  packages  of  candy,  apples  and  raisins. 
I  met  several  that  knew  me,  as  they  were  so  often 
with  us  at  home.  We  walked  down  to  the  Mission 
House,  as  mother  had  told  me  so  much  about  the 
Mission.  When  Mr.  Ferry  was  there  mother  had 
attended  the  Mission  school  for  a  time.  We  saw 
Robinson's  Folly  with  the  white  snow  covering  the 
rocks  and  trees.  We  then  came  back  to  the  old 
Mission  Church,  and  going  inside  I  told  Elizabeth 
my  mother  had  often  taken  me  there  when  I  was  a 
baby.  I  showed  her  the  Dousman  pew  in  front 
where  the  family  used  to  sit,  my  mother  being 
adopted  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dousman.  We  then  came 
to  the  "Old  Agency  House"  with  its  quaint  old 
chimney  outside  at  the  end,  its  little  dormer  win- 
dows in  the  roof.  It  was  now  all  covered  with  the 
pure  white  snow  and  every  shrub  around  its  doors 
was  draped  in  white.  We  passed  on,  going  toward 
the  Grand,  many  little  houses  covered  with  cedar 
bark  and  some  had  cedar  bark  put  all  around  the 
outside,  with  narrow  strips  of  wood  tacked  on  to 
hold  it.  Some  had  little  square  windows  with  four 
and  six  panes  of  glass  with  white  muslin  curtains. 
They  looked  like  little  toy  houses,  but  were  warm 
and  comfortable.  It  was  a  quaint  little  village  full 
of  jolly,  kind  hearted  people  whose  hearts  were 
tender  and  true  to  their  neighbors. 

It  being  cold  we  soon  went  back  to  the  boat. 
Our  boat  looked  like  a  huge  snow  bank  beside  the 


106  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

dock.  The  freight  was  being  rolled  over  the  plank 
and  all  was  confusion.  There  were  handshakes  and 
good-byes  as  the  people  hurried  over  the  plank.  The 
"all  aboard"  was  shouted,  the  plank  was  pulled  in, 
the  paddles  turned  and  we  were  moving  away  amid 
the  waving  of  caps  and  fluttering  of  handkerchiefs. 
Our  whistle  was  saluting,  and  many  of  the  people 
on  the  dock  joined  in  one  of  the  old  French-Can- 
adian glee  or  boat  songs,  their  voices  sounding  far 
out  over  the  waters  as  we  passed  Round  Island. 

ON    LAKE    HURON. 

For  a  short  time  we  watched  the  white  island 
covered  with  snow.  It  soon  set  in  thick  again  and 
the  snow  came  down  in  blinding  sheets  with  a  cold 
wind.  Our  boat  rocked  and  tumbled  about.  We 
were  now  out  on  Lake  Huron  in  a  heavy  snow 
storm.  Our  captain  and  sailors  were  dressed  in 
their  warm  fur  coats.  Every  turn  of  the  paddles 
was  taking  me  farther  from  home,  and  soon  such 
a  longing  came  over  me  which  I  could  not  shake 
off.  I  wanted  to  go  home.  Elizabeth  and  my  bro- 
ther tried  their  best  to  comfort  me,  telling  me  I  was 
going  to  see  brother  Charley;  but  nothing  could 
make  me  feel  better.  Brother  tried  to  have  me  eat 
something,  but  I  could  not.  My  chin  quivered,  I 
tried  so  hard  not  to  cry,  I  ran  to  my  room,  throwing 
myself  on  my  bed,  trying  hard  to  keep  the  tears 
back.  Soon  Mr.  Crane  came  with  a  big  doll  he 
bought  for  me  at  Mackinac  Island  and  grandpa 
McKinley  came  to  see  me,  taking  me  in  his  arms 
and  rocking  me  in  one  of  Jane's  chairs.     I  was 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  107 

very  glad  to  see  him.  He  was  a  dear  white  haired 
old  man.  He  told  me  some  droll  stories  that  made 
me  laugh.  Then  I  told  him  I  was  going  to  see  my 
brother  Charley  and  that  I  was  homesick,  and  if  I 
didn't  get  better  soon  I  was  going  to  ask  the  cap- 
tain to  turn  the  boat  and  take  me  back  to  Beaver 
Island. 

The  storm  grew  worse,  the  seas  ran  higher,  the 
snow  was  blinding  and  all  things  had  to  be  made 
secure  on  the  boat.  No  one  but  the  sailors  could 
walk  about.  Any  that  tried  would  be  thrown  down. 
The  only  way  they  could  move  about  was  to  creep 
on  their  hands  and  knees.  Sometimes  our  boat  was 
high  on  the  waves,  when  it  seemed  every  timber  in 
her  would  be  broken.  She  trembled  and  then  sank 
way  down,  where  it  seemed  we  would  be  buried  in 
the  foaming  waters. 

CROSSING  SAGINAW    BAY. 

We  were  now  crossing  Saginaw  Bay  in  a  blind- 
ing snow  storm.  The  whistle  was  blowing  almost 
constantly,  and  once  we  heard  another  quite  close  to 
us.  Women  and  children  were  crying  in  their 
state-rooms,  others  were  groaning  in  fear  and  sick- 
ness. Our  boat  was  creaking  and  tossing,  some- 
times on  her  side,  when  it  seemed  she  would  never 
rise  again.  Sailors  were  running  on  the  deck  and 
orders  were  shouted  by  the  captain.  Water  was 
splashing  into  the  cabins,  glass  was  broken  from  the 
windows,  and  cabin  boys  were  hurrying  about  nail- 
ing up  blankets.  Dishes  were  smashing  as  they  fell 
from  the  lockers.     Cabin  doors  could  not  be  shut. 


108  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

our  boat  was  twisted,  and  it  seemed  she  could  not 
last  much  longer  she  settled  and  trembled  so  at 
times,  and  then  tire  great  waves  dashed  all  over 
her. 

PRAYING  FOR  THE  STORM  TO  CEASE. 

Our  blankets  were  wet  by  water  coming  in 
upon  us  as  Elizabeth  and  I  lay  in  our  berth  with 
our  hands  tightly  clasped  in  each  others.  She  had 
been  telling  me  about  her  home,  mother,  sisters 
and  brothers.  How  they  were  waiting  and  watch- 
ing for  them  to  come  home,  saying,  "I  know  my 
mother  is  praying  for  us."  Then  I  said,  "And  we 
must  pray,  pray  awful  hard,  because  my  father, 
mother  and  John  said  if  I  was  in  trouble  God 
would  hear  me  and  help  me,  and  I  guess  I  will 
pray  for  our  boat  to  be  saved."  Elizabeth  said, 
"Yes  child,  pray  for  us  all."  And  I  am  sure  God 
heard  the  feeble  prayer  I  made  as  I  told  him  how 
sorry  everybody  would  be  if  our  dear  old  Michigan 
steamboat  went  down.  I  felt  no  fear  through  all 
the  storm.  I  said  to  Elizabeth,  "Now  we  must  go 
to  sleep."  She  kissed  me,  saying,  "Dear  child,  what 
a  comfort  you  are  to  me."  We  were  cold  and  wet 
in  our  berths  and  now  the  boat  seemed  pitching 
and  tossing  another  way.  Her  head  would  go 
down  so  far  it  seemed  she  would  pitch  over  head 
first.  Many  were  screaming  in  the  cabins.  Mr. 
Crane  with  my  brother  and  William  were  on  the 
cabin  floor  near  our  door.  Our  door  had  to  be  tied 
back  to  keep  from  slamming.  My  brother  had  the 
life  preservers  ready  and  some  had  already  put  them 


LIPE  AMONC  THE  MORMONS.  109 

on.  Oh  the  praying  and  the  screaming  was  terrible ; 
but  in  the  midst  of  all  I  went  sound  to  sleep.  When 
I  awoke  our  boat  was  still.  We  had  weathered  the 
gale. 

AT  PRESQUE  ISLE  DOCK. 

There  was  tramping  of  feet  and  scraping  of 
shovels.  I  was  sure  we  had  run  aground.  Brother 
soon  told  us  we  were  safe  at  Presque  Isle  dock.  Oh 
how  glad  we  felt !  Brother  said  hurry  and  dress  so 
you  can  get  out  on  deck  and  look  at  our  boat.  She 
is  a  sight  to  look  at.  We  were  soon  on  the  dock 
looking  at  our  boat  covered  with  snow  and  ice. 
One  could  never  have  imagined  it  was  a  boat  that 
lay  there.  It  was  like  a  big  ice  berg.  Her  spar 
was  so  covered  with  ice  it  looked  like  a  great  tree. 
Our  boat  was  a  side  wheel  steamer  with  a  walking 
beam.  Capt.  Newberry  was  owner  and  master.  He 
said  to  his  mates,  "Boys,  when  this  old  steamer  of 
ours  can  weather  such  a  gale  she  can  go  through 
anything."  People  came  running  down  to  the  dock 
to  see  the  steamer  as  the  news  spread.  We  laid 
there  two  days  and  nights  to  clear  the  snow  and  ice 
off  and  make  some  repairs  so  she  could  go  to  Buf- 
falo to  lay  up  for  the  winter.  Brother  Lewis  said 
he  could  not  tell  how  many  barrels  of  salt  were  used 
on  that  trip  to  keep  the  boat  from  sinking  with 
ice.  Our  ears  were  tired  hearing  the  shovels  scrap- 
ing the  snow  and  ice  for  the  rest  of  the  trip. 

AT  DETROIT  AND  CLEVELAND. 

Our  passengers  began  to  feel  better  that  the 
great  storm  was  over  and  again  we  were  moving. 


no  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

Many  were  to  leave  the  boat  at  Detroit,  as  some 
were  to  cross  over  to  the  Canada  side.  At  Detroit 
we  remained  for  some  time,  our  Captain's  home 
being  there.  Mr.  Crane,  EHzabeth,  WilHam,  Lewis 
and  I  went  ashore.  Mr.  Crane  bought  me  some 
red  morocco  shoes  and  a  pretty  red  silk  hood  to 
match  my  red  cloak.  We  had  not  many  passengers 
after  we  left  Detroit,  and  again  the  sea  was  rough 
with  a  heavy  rain  storm.  When  we  reached  Cleve- 
land we  again  went  ashore,  walking  about  the  city 
all  morning,  and  in  the  afternoon  Mr.  Crane  took 
a  carriage  and  we  drove  about  the  city,  seeing  many 
handsome  residences,  but  they  could  not  get  me  to 
say  anything  I  saw  was  nicer  to  me  than  my  island 
home.  That  night  there  was  a  gale  on  Lake  Erie 
so  our  boat  laid  in  port.  I  was  still  homesick  and 
the  tears  would  come  often,  though  I  tried  to  keep 
them  back.  My  brother  Lewis  was  to  leave  us 
here  at  Cleveland,  as  this  was  where  he  was  going 
to  school.     After  he  left  us  I  was  very  lonely. 

TRYING  TO  BE  HAPPY. 

Elizabeth  said,  "Now  my  dear  child  you  must 
have  patience.  Spring  will  soon  be  here  and  we 
will  take  you  home  again.  So  now,  have  patience." 
All  day  long  after  she  talked  to  me  I  kept  repeating 
every  little  while,  "Patience,  patience;  have  pa- 
tience." I  did  not  know  its  meaning.  At  last  I 
asked  her  what  it  meant.  She  tried  to  explain  to 
me  it  meant  not  to  worry,  not  to  fret,  to  be  quiet 
and  wait,  try  to  be  happy,  sing  when  I  wanted  to 
cry,  and  be  cheerful  and  not  give  up  to  sadness.    I 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  1 1 1 

repeated  many  times  what  she  said  to  me  and  prom- 
ised to  do  the  best  I  could.  How  much  I  needed 
that  lesson  before  my  face  was  again  turned  home- 
ward !  I  did  not  cry  any  more.  I  told  Elizabeth 
my  heart  was  getting  too  big  and  I  was  sure  it 
would  burst.  When  I  felt  so  bad  and  it  was  hard 
to  keep  the  tears  back  I  took  my  doll  Jane  (I  had 
named  her  after  the  dear,  kind  cabin  maid)  in  my 
arms,  rocking  and  singing  some  of  my  old  French 
songs  my  mother  had  taught  me.  When  Eliz- 
abeth looked  at  me  I  said,  "Now  I  am  getting 
patience."  Soon  the  captain  came  in,  saying,  "Is 
this  the  little  girl  that  is  homesick?"  I  said,  "Oh 
no,  Fm  not  homesick  any  more.  I  have  got  pa- 
tience." He  laughed  heartily.  Elizabeth  explained 
to  him  what  I  meant.  He  said,  "No  don't  you  get 
homesick  any  more.  I  will  take  you  home  next 
April  on  this  old  steamboat  of  mine.  So  get  all 
the  patience  you  can." 

ON   THE   HEADLANDS. 

At  nine  o'clock  that  evening  we  reached  Fair- 
port.  It  had  been  raining  hard  and  the  night  was 
dark.  We  were  ready  to  leave  the  boat.  Jane,  the 
cabin  maid  kissed  me  many  times,  saying,  "Now  my 
dear  child  try  not  to  be  homesick  and  we  hope  to 
meet  you  in  the  spring  and  take  you  home  with  us." 
We  stepped  ashore,  it  seemed  to  me  the  dock  was 
moying  from  under  us,  we  had  been  over  a  week  on 
the  boat.  Elizabeth  was  soon  with  her  brothers 
and  sisters  who  had  come  to  meet  her.  She  took 
my  hand  saying,  "This  is  my  little  friend,  Eliza- 


112  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

beth  Whitney."  They  gave  me  a  hearty  welcome 
and  I  knew  I  was  among  friends.  We  hurried  to 
the  hotel  kept  by  Mrs.  Root  in  Fairport,  where  we 
remained  all  night.  Next  morning  after  break- 
fast we  crossed  over  the  river  on  the  scow  ferry, 
where  we  were  met  by  Mr.  Crane's  carriage  and 
we  drove  to  their  home  on  the  Headlands.  There 
Mrs.  Crane  was  standing  in  her  door  to  meet  her 
husband  and  children.  After  all  had  greeted  their 
father  and  mother,  Mrs.  Crane  with  the  rest  of  the 
family  gave  me  a  kind  welcome  and  I  felt  quite 
happy  with  them.  Their  nearest  neighbor  was  Mr. 
Alexander  Snell.  He  had  been  to  Beaver  Island 
and  knew  my  parents.  Mrs.  Snell  and  everybody 
was  very  kind  to  the  little  "Island  Girl,"  as  I  was 
called.  Her  sister,  Mrs.  Wright,  was  our  neighbor 
at  home.  Mr.  Crane's  youngest  child  was  a  girl  of 
five  years,  and  a  boy  named  Charley  eight,  so  we 
children  had  great  fun  hunting  hen's  eggs  in  the 
big  barn. 

After  one  week  one  bright  morning  Mr.  Crane 
took  me  in  the  carriage  to  Painesville  to  my  new 
home.  We  crossed  the  Grand  river  at  Fairport, 
then  took  the  old  plank  road  to  Painesville.  How 
the  horses'  hoofs  did  clatter  as  we  drove  on  a  fast 
trot!  We  stopped  at  the  turn  of  the  road,  where 
Mr.  Crane  had  two  sisters  living.  Their  house 
was  on  a  pretty  knoll  on  the  right  as  we  drove  into 
Painesville.  We  had  dinner  with  Mrs.  Matthews. 
The  other  sister  was  a  maiden  lady  called  by  the 
children  "Aunt  Margaret."  They  were  all  very 
kind  to  me. 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  113 

IN    MY   NEW   HOME. 

After  dinner  we  drove  into  Painesville  up  to 
the  cottage  door  to  my  new  home.  The  lady  came 
to  the  door  and  knew  at  once  I  was  the  little  girl 
she  expected  and  said,  ''Come  in."  We  stepped 
inside,  Mr.  Crane  saying,  "I  have  brought  you  this 
child  as  you  directed  me  in  your  letter.  Her  father 
has  put  her  in  my  care  and  I  am  responsible  for  her. 
If  you  do  not  like  to  keep  her  this  winter  I  shall 
take  her  home  with  me.  If  you  do  take  her  and 
at  any  time  don't  want  her,  let  me  know.  I  shall 
come  once  every  week  to  see  her  until  I  go  back  to 
the  island,  and  of  course  you  know  she  is  to  go 
back  to  her  home  with  me  unless  she  wants  to  stay 
and  you  want  to  keep  her."  The  lady  said,  "Yes 
you  have  said  just  as  my  letter  to  her  father  reads." 
She  looked  at  me,  then  turning  to  Mr.  Crane  she 
said,  "She  is  so  small  she  won't  be  able  to  help  me 
much."  Mr.  Crane  said,  "Why  you  said  in  your 
letter  you  wanted  her  for  company  and  to  do  little 
errands  and  chores  for  you  and  be  with  your  chil- 
dren." "Yes,"  the  lady  said,  "But  I  shall  expect  her 
to  help  me  some."  Mr.  Crane  told  her,  "You  prom- 
ised to  send  the  child  to  school  and  I  have  money 
from  her  father  to  buy  her  books."  The  lady  said, 
"Oh  I  know  we  shall  like  her."  Then  Mr.  Crane 
handed  her  the  money  for  my  books,  saying,  "She 
has  clothes  enough.  If  there  is  anything  more 
needed  let  me  know."  He  gave  her  his  address 
and  went  out  to  bring  my  trunk.  He  said,  "Now 
my  dear  child,  I  hope  you  will  be  happy  in  your  new 


114  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

home.  I  will  come  every  week  to  see  you."  Turn- 
ing to  Mrs.  Shepard,  he  said,  "If  this  child  gets 
sick  let  me  know."  He  bent  down  and  kissed  me, 
the  tears  falling  fast  from  his  eyes,  he  bowed  to 
Mrs.  Shepard  and  hurried  away. 

The  last  link  that  reminded  me  of  my  island 
home  was  gone.  Oh  it  was  terrible!  I  tried  to 
run  after  him  to  call  him  back.  I  wanted  to  say 
come  back,  come  back  and  take  me  to  your  home. 
I  could  not  speak,  I  could  not  move,  never  while 
life  lasts  can  I  forget  how  I  felt  when  I  saw  Mr. 
Crane  driving  away  in  the  carriage.  I  was  among 
entire  strangers  in  a  strange  land.  A  child  of 
seven  and  a  half  years  of  age.  The  lady  said, 
"Come  to  the  fire  you  must  be  cold."  She  then  took 
my  cloak  and  hood.  I  sat  down  in  a  little  chair. 
She  went  about  the  house  at  her  work,  never  speak- 
ing to  me.  All  was  silent  and  quiet.  In  a  little 
while  the  two  little  children,  one  a  boy  of  three,  the 
other  a  year  old,  just  walking,  came  to  me.  The 
oldest  brought  me  some  toys  and  put  in  my  hands, 
never  speaking.  Then  the  youngest  came  and  put 
his  little  face  up  to  mine.  I  kissed  him,  which 
seemed  to  please  him,  and  soon  I  took  him  on  my 
lap,  where  he  soon  fell  asleep,  while  the  other  child 
was  sitting  quietly  beside  me  on  the  floor  playing 
with  his  toys.  The  lady  took  the  child  and  laid 
him  on  the  bed  saying,  "Do  you  like  children?"  I 
answered,  "Yes  Ma'm."  It  was  the  first  word  I 
had  spoken  since  I  entered  the  house.  She  took 
her  sewing  and  never  spoke.  Oh  how  long  the 
time  seemed!     I  cannot  tell  how  I  felt.     No  tears 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  115 

would  come  to  give  me  relief.  At  last  she  put  her 
sewing  away  and  began  the  supper.  Then  the 
lights  were  lit;  the  baby  had  wakened  and  I  again 
took  him  in  my  arms.  The  other  child  stood  close 
beside  me. 

MR.    MILTON   A.    SHEPARD.  "^ 

Soon  the  door  opened  and  a  man  came  in.  The 
children  cried,  "Papa."  He  kissed  the  children 
saying,  "Who  is  this  little  girl?"  His  wife  told 
him,  "This  is  the  little  island  girl  we  expected." 
He  took  my  hand,  saying,  "I  am  glad  to  see  you. 
But  wife  what  a  little  midget  she  is."  He  was  a 
kind  looking  man  with  black  hair  and  eyes.  Sup- 
per was  on  the  table.  I  was  placed  near  the  children. 
I  tried  to  eat,  but  I  could  not  swallow.  The  food 
stuck  in  my  throat.  Mr.  Shepard  noticed  I  did  not 
eat,  so  he  asked  me  if  I  would  like  some  milk.  I 
answered,  "Yes,  sir."  Mrs.  Shepard  told  him  there 
was  none  only  what  the  children  had.  I  said, 
"Never  mind,"  but  little  Henry  gave  me  his  cup  full. 
I  managed  to  drink  it.  When  the  meal  was  over  I 
asked  if  I  should  do  the  dishes.  "Not  tonight,  but 
tomorrow,"  she  said.  Mr.  Shepard  asked  me  a  few 
questions  about  my  island  home,  which  was  the  only 
time  in  all  my  stay  that  my  home  or  my  parents 
were  ever  mentioned  to  me. 

HOMESICK. 

I  was  put  to  bed  upstairs  alone  in  a  room.  The 
first  time  in  my  life  I  was  ever  alone  at  night,  but 
I  was  not  afraid,  only  homesick.  I  took  my  doll 
Jane  in  my  arms,  saying  my  prayers  I  went  to  bed, 


116  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

but  not  to  sleep.  My  thoughts  went  back  to  my 
home  on  the  island.  I  could  see  my  pets,  father, 
mother  and  John  sitting  around  the  table,  mother 
sewing,  John  reading,  and  the  tears  would  come  in 
spite  of  all  my  efforts  to  keep  them  back.  Then  I 
thought  about  what  Elizabeth  said  to  me  that  I 
must  have  patience,  yes  I  must  not  cry  and  I  would 
soon  see  brother  Charley.  I  would  ask  Mr.  Shep- 
ard  in  the  morning  about  my  brotner.  Then  I 
whispered  so  low  to  Jane,  telling  her  it  was  naughty 
to  cry  and  complain,  and  that  we  must  pray  God  to 
help  us,  asking  her  if  she  had  forgotten  the  big 
storm  when  we  were  on  the  lake.  In  talking  to  my 
doll  I  fell  asleep  and  only  awoke  when  Mr.  Shep- 
ard  was  building  the  fire  in  the  morning.  I  was 
soon  dressed  and  was  down  stairs,  where  I  began 
dressing  the  children,  and  always  after  that  I  took 
care  of  them.  The  dear  children,  how  they  loved 
me  and  I  loved  them !  Never  once  were  they  cross 
to  me,  and  I  hope  I  never  was  to  them.  Of  course 
I  could  not  comb  my  hair.  It  was  long  and  heavy. 
Mrs.  Shepard  did  it  for  me.  I  helped  her  with  the 
dishes  and  soon  learned  how  she  did  her  work.  She 
was  very  neat  and  her  home  was  always  in  order. 
By  standing  on  a  little  stool  I  could  reach  the 
dishes  on  the  pantry  shelves  and  soon  could  do 
the  dishes  alone  and  help  about  the  other  work. 

GOING    TO    SCHOOL    IN    THE    LITTLE    RED    SCHOOL 
HOUSE. 

The  next  week  I  was  sent  to  school  in  the  little 
red  school  house.     Miss  EHzabeth  Crawford  was 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS,  117 

my  teacher.  She  and  her  mother  hved  near  the 
school  house  in  a  Httle  vine  covered  cottage.  I 
was  very  happy  in  school.  Mr.  Shepard  heard  my 
lessons  in  the  evenings  so  he  could  see  what  pro- 
gress I  made.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shepard  had  both 
been  teachers.  The  Christmas  time  was  saddest 
for  me,  for  then  I  missed  my  home  the  most. 

MEETING  BROTHER  CHARLEY. 

I  was  in  Painesville  over  a  month  before  I  saw 
my  brother  Charley.  He  came  one  day  and  staid 
to  dinner.  I  could  scarcely  believe  it  was  he,  he 
had  grown  so  tall  and  seemed  such  a  little  man. 
After  dinner  we  took  the  children  on  the  sled  and 
went  to  Mr,  Shepard's  shop  where  he  made  the 
wagons.  Then  we  went  down  the  bank  to  the  river, 
At  four  o'clock  he  must  start  for  home.  I  wanted 
him  to  stay  all  night,  but  he  said  he  could  not. 
The  time  came  all  too  soon  for  him  to  go  and  with 
many  promises  to  come  again  we  bade  good-by  and 
he  was  gone.  For  days  afterward  I  wondered 
"had  I  dreamed  he  was  there  or  was  it  a  reality." 
I  never  saw  him  again  while  I  remained. 

One  morning  soon  after  when  Mrs.  Shepard 
was  combing  my  hair  she  took  the  shears  and  cut 
it  off  short.  My  heart  was  broken.  She  said,  "I 
can't  be  troubled  with  your  long  hair  every  morn- 
ing." Mr.  Shepard  was  sorry,  but  said,  "Never 
mind,  it  will  grow  again,"  which  comforted  me 
because  I  feared  it  would  always  be  short  like  the 
Mormon   women's    hair.      Mrs.    Shepard    had    a 


118  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

niece  boarding  with  her.  She  Hked  to  tease  me, 
telling  me  it  would  never  grow  again. 

Every  Sabbath  I  went  to  church  and  always  had 
my  verse  learned  for  my  Sabbath  school  teacher. 
One  morning  on  my  way  to  school  I  met  Mr.  Peter 
McKinley.  He  lived  in  a  large  house  near  our 
school.  He  was  very  glad  to  see  me.  To  me  it 
seemed  like  seeing  some  one  from  home.  Mr. 
Crane  came  every  week  to  see  me,  but  I  never  saw 
him.  Sometimes  I  was  at  school,  twice  I  was  in 
the  house  upstairs  with  the  children  but  never 
knew  he  was  there  until  he  was  gone.  Spring 
was  drawing  near  and  I  wondered  if  I  ever  would 
see  Mr.  Crane  and  go  home. 

One  day  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shepard  left  home  and 
went  to  Willoughby.  Her  niece  kept  house  and  I 
helped  her  take  care  of  the  children.  They  were 
gone  two  days.  The  front  door  was  always  locked 
and  I  was  told  not  to  go  to  the  door  if  anyone 
came.  Once  when  I  was  on  the  street  I  saw  Eliz- 
abeth Crane  and  her  sister  driving.  They  knew 
me  and  I  knew  them,  but  they  were  out  of  sight 
so  quick  I  had  not  time  to  speak  to  them.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Shepard  came  home.  They  began  to  pack 
their  goods.  Once  I  said,  *'Are  you  going  away?" 
She  said,  "Yes,  we  are  going  to  move  to  Will- 
oughby." 

A  child's  prayer. 

All  that  night  I  lay  awake.  I  knew  then  they 
intended  to  move  and  take  me  with  them,  and  then 
I  would  never  see  my  father  and  mother  again. 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS,  119 

My  heart  was  heavy,  and  all  night  I  kept  praying 
that  God  would  help  me  to  go  to  my  own  home. 
Mrs.  Shepard  had  a  sister  living  near,  and  next 
day  I  went  to  her,  telling  her  I  had  not  seen  Mr. 
Crane  and  I  feared  I  was  to  be  taken  away  to 
another  place  and  would  never  see  my  people  again. 
She  was  a  dear,  kind  lady,  and  she  said,  "I  will 
see  my  sister  about  this,"  and  she  came  right  home 
with  me.  She  talked  with  her  sister  for  a  long 
time.  I  did  not  hear  their  conversation,  only  I 
saw  Mrs.  Shepard  was  displeased.  When  Mrs. 
Robinson  left  she  kissed  me.  I  saw  tears  in  her 
eyes.  She  had  been  so  kind  to  me  all  winter.  It 
was  the  one  bright  spot  in  that  winter's  life  for 
me.  The  next  morning  we  were  to  start  for  Wil- 
loughby.  As  I  went  to  my  room  my  heart  was 
heavy  with  trouble.  I  took  my  doll  Jane,  telling 
her  my  sorrows  and  fears,  but  somehow  Jane  could 
not  comfort  me.  I  said  to  her,  "It  is  because  you 
don't  know  anything  about  my  people.  You  have 
never  been  to  Beaver  Island."  The  moon  was 
shining  bright  into  my  room.  I  lay  a  long  time 
thinking  and  saying,  "Oh,  what  shall  I  do!"  I 
got  out  of  bed  and  knelt  beside  it  praying  as  I  had 
never  prayed  before.  I  told  God  all  about  my 
sorrows,  saying,  "Oh  won't  you  help  me  and  take 
me  home  to  my  father?"  My  heart  felt  lighter. 
With  Jane  in  my  arms  I  lay  me  down  to  sleep 
and  never  wakened  until  Mr.  Shepard  called.  We 
hurried  our  breakfast.  Mrs.  Shepard  appeared 
nervous.  My  heart  felt  lighter  than  it  had  for 
many  a  day    and    I    kept    listening    for    carriage 


120  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

wheels  which  I  felt  sure  would  come.  One  load  of 
goods  had  gone  to  the  depot,  the  dray  had 
just  left  the  door  with  another  and  there  were  just 
a  few  things  left  for  the  last  load.  Our  wraps 
lay  on  a  chair. 

A  child's  prayer  answered. 

Mr.  Shepard  had  gone  to  the  postoffice.  A  car- 
riage drove  up  and  stopped  before  our  door.  A 
lady  came  quickly  in.  I  looked  and  saw  it  was 
Aunt  Margaret,  Mr.  Crane's  sister.  I  threw  my 
arms  about  her,  saying,  "I  am  so  glad  to  see  you. 
Will  you  take  me  home?"  She  said,  "Do  you  want 
to  go?"  ''Yes,  I  want  to  go."  She  turned  to  Mrs. 
Shepard  saying,  "I  see  you  are  moving.  I  am  Mr. 
Crane's  sister.  He  was  not  able  to  see  this  child 
this  winter.  He  sent  me  as  the  time  is  drawing  near 
when  my  brother  returns  to  the  Island.  He  prom- 
ised this  child's  father  to  bring  her  back  if  she 
wants  to  go."  Mrs.  Shepard  told  her  she  would 
have  no  interference  and  would  keep  me.  "No," 
said  Aunt  Margaret,  "Your  letter  reads  the  child 
could  go  home  and  come  again  if  all  was  agree- 
able. And  she  says  she  wants  to  go  and  I  shall  take 
her.  Elizabeth  get  your  things  on."  I  just  flew, 
I  got  my  trunk,  the  lady  putting  it  into  the  carriage. 
I  was  following  her  when  Mrs.  Shepard  said, 
"Child  aren't  you  going  to  kiss  me  and  the  child- 
ren?" I  put  my  arms  about  her  neck,  kissing  her 
and  caught  the  children  in  my  arms  with  a  hug 
and  a  kiss,  then  ran  to  the  carriage. 

Aunt  Margaret  lifted  me  to  the  seat,  took  the 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  121 

lines,  and  our  horse  just  flew  down  the  plank  road 
till  we  arrived  at  Mrs.  Matthews,  where  Mr.  Crane 
was  waiting  for  us.  He  came,  saying,  ''Dear  child 
how  I  have  worried  about  you.  When  I  saw  I 
could  never  get  to  see  you  I  sent  sister  Margaret 
and  now  you  can  go  home  on  the  steamboat  Mich- 
igan." Oh  what  a  happy  child  I  was !  All  the  sad, 
gloomy,  lonesome  days  were  forgotten.  I  was 
going  home.  Home  to  my  father  and  mother. 
Going  to  my  island  home. 

We  soon  started  for  the  Headlands  once  again. 
The  horses  hoofs  clattered  over  the  road  to  Fair- 
port.  We  crossed  the  river,  and  in  a  short  time  were 
at  Mr.  Crane's  house,  where  all  the  family  met 
me  with  greetings  of  love.  I  entered  school ;  Miss 
Marion  Brooks  was  my  teacher.  I  was  at  the 
Headlands  three  weeks  when  a  letter  came  from 
the  Captain  of  the  steamboat  Michigan  to  be  ready 
at  a  certain  date  to  meet  the  boat  at  Fairport.  Mr. 
Crane  made  preparations,  and  on  the  date  men- 
tioned in  the  letter  we  were  all  in  Fairport  to  take 
the  steamboat.  My  brother  had  come  from  Cleve- 
land. 

HOMEWARD  BOUND  ON  STEAMBOAT  MICHIGAN. 

How  my  heart  swelled  with  joy  when  I  heard 
the  Michigan's  whistle  and  saw  the  steamer  nearing 
the  dock.  Mr.  Crane's  people  were  sad  to  have 
them  go,  but  all  was  ready,  good-byes  were  said  and 
again  the  old  familiar  sound  of  "all  aboard"  was 
heard.  We  stepped  upon  the  gang-plank.  Jane 
met  us  with  her  pleasant  greetings,  lines  were  cast 


122  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

off,  our  boat  was  moving,  we  steamed  out  upon 
the  waters  of  Lake  Erie  with  many  blocks  of  float- 
ing ice  about  us,  and  the  sea  gulls  were  again  soar- 
ing high  above  us,  uttering  their  shrill  cries,  as  if 
they,  too,  were  glad  to  have  the  spring  time  come. 
We  reached  Cleveland,  where  several  families  took 
passage  for  the  island,  some  of  whom  were  our 
boarders  of  the  year  before.  At  Detroit  more  came 
on  board.  Among  the  rest  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Loaney. 
They  had  been  to  Toronto,  Canada,  for  the  winter. 
There  were  many  fishermen  returning  to  the 
island  on  this  first  trip.  More  would  follow  later. 
The  weather  was  fair.  Our  steamer  had  been  re- 
paired since  that  terrible  trip  in  December. 

The  Captain  said  to  me,  "Little  girl  did  you 
get  lots  of  patience  this  winter?"  At  first  I  could 
not  remember  what  he  meant.  Then  it  flashed 
through  my  mind  and  I  answered,  "Yes  sir."  He 
said,  'Well  child,  I  told  you  this  old  steamboat 
would  carry  you  home  and  now  you  will  soon  be 
there."  Jane  was  glad  to  see  us  all  again,  the  tears 
ran  down  her  face  when  I  told  her  how  homesick 
I  was  and  what  a  comfort  my  Jane  had  been  to  me. 
It  was  pleasant  enough  for  us  to  be  on  deck  after 
we  left  Detroit.  We  stopped  at  almost  every  port. 
Lake  Huron  was  calm  and  quiet  this  time  with 
just  a  ripple  on  Saginaw  Bay,  but  we  could  feel 
the  motion  of  big  swells,  which  sent  many  to  their 
state  rooms. 

AT    MACKINAC    ISLAND. 

We  passed  Bois  Blanc,  and  were  soon  at  the 
dock  at  Mackinac  Island.     This  time  green  trees 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  123 

greeted  our  view,  but  the  white  fort  on  the  hill 
with  the  flag  waving  over  it  looked  just  the  same. 
The  people  were  all  out  to  greet  the  first  steam- 
boat of  the  season,  it  being  sometime  about  the 
middle  of  April,  1852,  old  grandpa  being  among  the 
rest.  He  was  glad  to  see  us,  but  sorry  Charley 
was  not  among  us.  Again  we  walked  the  streets 
and  climbed  to  the  fort.  The  grass  was  springing 
up  in  the  yards,  and  all  nature  told  us  spring  had 
come.  There  were  happy,  cheerful  smiles  on  peo- 
ple's faces,  children  were  playing  in  the  sunshine. 
We  had  now  left  the  dock  and  again  there  was 
waving  and  singing  on  the  dock  to  cheer  us  on 
our  way.  Our  boat  moved  out  past  Round  Island. 
There  were  great  blocks  of  drifting  ice  on  every 
side.  Near  the  little  island  of  St.  Helena  we  almost 
stopped  to  keep  clear  of  the  ice.  We  steamed  past 
Hog  Island,  with  little  Hat  Island  looking  white 
with  ice  packed  about  it.  Over  to  the  northward 
was  all  ice,  which  had  not  yet  broken  to  drift.  We 
soon  were  at  the  McKinley  dock  at  the  harbor; 
freight  was  taken  on  for  Green  Bay,  again  the 
"all  aboard"  was  called  and  we  steamed  along  past 
Big  Sand  Bay.  We  could  see  all  the  little  homes 
that  would  soon  be  occupied  by  summer  people. 

HOME  AGAIN. 

Brother  and  I  saw  our  home,  with  father,  mo- 
ther and  John  standing  in  the  door.  We  waved  to 
them;  they  saw  and  answered.  Our  boat  was 
landed;  father  and  John  were  there  to  meet  us 
with  other  friends.     I  could  scarcely  wait  for  the 


124  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

gang  plank  to  be  put  out.  Ah  well,  the  home  com- 
ing was  almost  worth  the  waiting  for.  As  soon 
as  I  had  greeted  father  and  John  I  ran  up  the  dock 
for  home,  my  little  dog  chasing  after  me.  I  met 
Mr.  Cable  hurrying  down.  As  I  ran  past  without 
stopping,  he  said,  "Aren't  you  going  to  shake 
hands?"  "Oh  yes,  but  I  am  in  such  a  hurry  to 
get  home,"  I  answered.  Oh  the  joy  to  be  once 
more  at  home!  I  took  both  hands  and  dashed  the 
water  up  into  my  face  as  I  ran  along  the  shore  to 
our  house.  The  sound  of  the  waves  seemed  wel- 
coming me  home.  I  looked  back  once  toward  the 
boat  and  saw  father  with  Elizabeth  and  the  rest 
coming.  I  ran  almost  breathless  into  the  house 
saying,  "Mother  I  have  come  home."  She  hurried 
toward  me  saying,  "Charley."  Then  she  caught 
at  the  back  of  a  chair.  Her  face  was  so  pale  I 
thought  she  would  fall,  and  I  gave  her  water  to 
drink.  She  kissed  me  with  her  eyes  full  of  tears. 
I  whispered,  "No,  Charley  has  not  come." 

The  rest  came  in.  Mr.  Crane's  people  were  to 
stay  with  us  until  their  house  was  ready.  We 
were  a  happy  family  around  our  table  at  supper 
time. 

I  was  now  home  and  yet  there  was  a  sadness 
about  it.  We  were  not  all  together  as  we  once 
had  been.  Father  and  mother  had  grown  thin  and 
pale.  John  said  he  could  never  tell  how  much  we 
children  had  been  missed.  He  had  read  his  books, 
sung  his  songs  and  told  his  stories  to  pass  away 
the  winter  evenings,  and  they  had  all  worried  much 
about  the  Michigan,  knowing  that  we  were  out  in 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  125 

that  terrible  storm  when  we  left  in  the  fall.  I  was 
busy  for  a  few  days  visiting  our  neighbors  and 
telling  them  about  my  trip  and  where  I  had  been. 
My  little  friend  Rose  and  her  mother  were  glad  to 
see  me,  as  I  could  tell  them  about  their  people  on 
the  Headlands.  Their  Aunt  Mary  Snell  and  Cous- 
ins Andrus,  Alva' and  the  rest.  There  was  a  sweet 
little  babe  at  Cable's.  They  called  her  Cora,  and  I 
was  so  glad,  because  now  I  could  help  take  care 
of  her.  Somehow  life  had  changed.  Before  going 
away  the  world  did  not  seem  to  reach  out  very  far 
beyond  our  island  home,  now  it  began  to  seem  like 
a  great  big  world  to  me,  and  many  were  the  ques- 
tions I  asked  John,  which  he  was  always  glad  to 
answer.  Once  I  said,  "John  were  you  ever  home- 
sick?" After  a  minute  he  answered,  "Yes,  some- 
times." I  said,  "I  know  what  homesick  means 
now." 

A  mother's  longing  to  see  her  boy. 

Though  life  was  busy  with  us,  we  missed  Char- 
ley. Brother  Anthony  had  returned  from  Gr.cn 
Bay,  being  delighted  with  his  school,  his  uncle  and 
aunt  were  so  kind  to  him.  One  evening  I  went  to 
the  beach  to  sit  beside  the  water.  I  wanted  to 
hear  its  soft  low  whisperings  again.  I  was  not 
there  long  before  I  heard  some  one  sobbing.  I 
turned  and  mother  was  beside  me.  She  said,  'T 
came  to  look  for  you  and  I  was  thinking  that  per- 
haps Charley  may  never  come  home."  She  sat 
beside  me  silent  for  a  time  and  then  said,  "Now  we 
must  not  spend  our  time  in   sorrow.     Sometime 


126  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

Charley  may  come."  And  she  told  me  how  anx- 
ious she  was  about  a  sick  neighbor  she  was  caring 
for,  saying,  "I  shall  depend  on  you,  Elizabeth,  to 
help  me,  and  I  want  you  to  be  careful  never  to 
repeat  anything  we  talk  about.  There  is  much 
trouble  among  the  Mormons  themselves.  Strang 
has  been  gone  all  winter,  and  some  of  the  apostles 
refuse  to  obey  the  laws  of  polygamy.  There  are 
spies  all  about  us  and  the  Mormons  are  not  our 
friends  any  more."  I  promised  her  I  would  be 
careful.  She  said,  "Mr.  Sinclair  is  afraid  of  his 
life,  as  he  knows  he  may  be  made  an  example  of 
for  refusing  to  obey  Strang's  laws.  I  have  many 
things  to  think  about  and  do  for  this  sick  woman. 
And  I  want  to  tell  you  something  else.  Elizabeth 
Crane  is  going  to  be  married  in  June.  Charles 
Angel  will  come  after  her.  Then  her  home  will  be 
in  Saginaw  and  her  sister  Jennie  will  come  in  her 
place  to  keep  house  for  her  father.  So  now  do  not 
worry  Elizabeth  about  anything,  for  she  has  lots  of 
sewing  and  we  must  help  her  all  we  can." 

Life  was  busy;  our  summer  people  were  with 
us.  Elizabeth  Crane  had  left  us  never  to  return. 
Mr.  Angel  and  she  were  married  at  Mackinac 
Island.  When  the  boat  came  back  her  sister  Jen- 
nie, a  beautiful  girl  of  nineteen,  came  to  remain 
until  fall,  when  she,  too,  married  Mr.  James  Cor- 
lette  of  the  Headlands.  Mr.  Crane,  with  others, 
left  the  island  early  in  September,  as  the  Mormons 
had  taken  every  boat  along  the  shore  below 
Cable's  dock,  with  the  nets  from  the  lake  and  fish 
from  their  fish  houses.    They  left  the  island,  never 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  127 

coming  back  again,  just  a  few  months  before  we, 
too,  were  obliged  to  leave  or  become  Mormons. 

MENOMINEE    INDIAN    FAMILY. 

Sometime  in  June  there  came  a  canoe  of  Indians 
to  our  shore.  They  made  their  camp  near  us.  Mo- 
ther went  to  see  them.  When  she  came  home  she 
told  us  they  were  Menominee  Indians  come  to  fish 
for  a  time.  They  had  been  over  to  Cross  Village 
visiting  some  friends.  Their  home  was  in  Green 
Bay  county.  There  were  two  small  children, 
the  Indian  and  his  wife.  The  Indian  woman  was 
a  pretty  woman  with  jet  black  hair  cut  straight 
across  the  forehead,  this  being  the  fashion  with 
Menominee  squaws.  Their  wigwam  was  always 
nice  and  clean.  She  was  a  nice  sewer,  piecing 
pretty  bed  quilts,  which  always  looked  clean.  Often 
when  mother  got  in  a  hurry  with  her  work  she 
hired  the  Indian  woman  to  scrub  and  wash,  and 
other  times  to  do  some  sewing.  She  was  always 
smiling,  showing  her  pretty  white  teeth. 

One  morning  when  I  awoke  I  found  father 
and  Mr.  Dora,  a  neighbor,  had  gone  to  Mackinac 
Island.  They  were  gone  about  three  days.  When 
they  came  home  father  had  clothing  for  mother 
which  Mr.  Cable  did  not  keep  in  his  store.  Among 
the  rest  was  a  great  quantity  of  bright  colored 
glass  beads  and  many  yards  of  colored  ribbon, 
which  she  put  away  in  her  trunk,  saying  to  me, 
''Do  not  speak  about  what  I  have  put  away."  Mo- 
ther and  the  Indian  woman  were  often  together 
speaking  softly,  so  I  never  knew  what  they  said. 


128  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

Mother  seemed  anxious,   and  the   Indian  woman 
also  seemed  quiet  and  thoughtful. 

Soon  after  father's  return  mother  said  to  me, 
''Elizabeth  I  want  you  to  let  all  your  other  work 
alone  and  string  beads  for  me."  I  was  delighted, 
for  if  there  was  anything  I  loved  to  do  it  was  to 
string  the  pretty  colored  beads.  So  I  began  at  once, 
each  color  on  a  strong  thread.  After  stringing 
a  great  quantity  in  this  way,  then  I  made  many 
strings  in  different  colors,  mixing  the  beads.  As 
much  as  I  enjoyed  it  I  got  very  tired,  and  when- 
ever I  went  to  the  camp  the  little  Indian  children 
were  stringing  beads  and  their  mother  was  sewing, 
making  deerskin  moccasins,  on  which  she  sewed 
the  beads,  which  were  so  pretty  when  finished.  She 
made  many  pairs  of  them.  Sometimes  the  Indian 
woman  came  to  our  house,  helping  mother  and  me 
to  string  the  beads,  which  she  did  so  fast,  and  talked 
so  pleasantly  in  her  own  language,  mother  speak- 
ing her  language  as  well  as  the  other  tribes'  that 
lived  around  us.  There  were  several  camps  of 
Chippewa  Indians  that  lived  along  the  shore  that 
helped  the  fishermen  clean  their  fish,  and  the 
women  made  oil  from  the  fish  refuse  which  sold 
for  one  dollar  a  gallon  or  more,  according  to  qual- 
ity. Most  of  these  Indians  came  from  Garden 
Island. 

THE    robbers'    den. 

Our  Mormon  friends  who  used  to  come  to  our 
house  did  not  come  any  more.  There  were  two  who 
sometimes  came  in  a  few  minutes,  but  never  re- 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  129 

mained  long.  Everybody  was  anxious  to  know 
what  the  king  would  do  about  his  people  when  he 
came  back.  Many  of  the  Mormons  believed  Strang 
would  take  no  notice  of  the  refusal  of  some  of  his 
elders  to  practice  polygamy,  while  others  thought 
that  the  man  who  hoped  to  have  Strang's  place 
would  influence  him  to  make  them  suffer  the  pen- 
alty, which  the  Mormons  themselves  told  us  was 
death,  this  elder  contending  severe  measures  was 
the  only  way  to  enforce  obedience  to  the  law. 

Having  already  organized  a  band  of  forty 
thieves,  these  men  were  being  trained  to  go  out  and 
do  all  the  robbing  from  the  Gentiles  they  saw  fit 
to  do.  The  two  men  who  headed  the  band  were 
brothers  and  were  large  and  powerful  men,  Isaac 
and  John  Pierce.  They  were  well  suited  to  do 
such  work.  The  place  they  chose  to  secrete  their 
stolen  goods  was  a  long  point  at  the  lower  end  of 
Beaver  Island,  distant  about  three  miles  from  the 
harbor.  This  place  was  called  by  them  "Rocky 
Mountain  Point."  Being  an  out-of-the-way  place 
they  would  not  be  seen  secreting  much  of  their 
plunder. 

WAKING   AND    SEEING    INDIANS   IN    MY   ROOM. 

One  night  I  was  awakened  out  of  a  sound 
sleep  by  hearing  footsteps  in  the  room.  I  opened 
my  eyes  and  saw  mother  with  the  Indian  woman 
and  another  woman  going  up  stairs.  I  waited 
sometime  for  them  to  come  down,  but  fell  asleep 
before  they  came.  I  was  awakened  again.  There  was 
a  very  dim  light  in  the  room.  I  saw  a  tall  Indian  who 


130  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

seemed  to  walk  about  very  feeble  as  if  sick.  His 
black  hair  was  pulled  over  his  eyes  and  he  held  his 
hand  up  as  if  to  shade  his  eyes  from  any  light. 
There  were  two  Indian  women  in  the  room,  one 
the  Menominee  woman,  the  other  was  a  stranger 
but  she  wore  her  hair  cut  across  the  forehead. 
She  seemed  young  and  was  dressed  very  beautifully. 
Her  moccasins  were  trimmed  with  pretty  beads, 
and  many  strings  of  bright  colored  beads  were 
about  her  neck,  and  I  thought  she  must  be  a 
princess,  the  daughter  of  a  chief.  She  and  the 
Indian  walked  about  the  room  several  times,  while 
mother  and  the  Menominee  woman  spoke  to  them 
in  their  language,  they  answering  in  the  same.  I 
saw  father  nod  and  smile,  at  which  they  all  took 
up  parcels  and  small  bundles  from  the  table  and 
walked  out  in  single  file. 

DEPARTURE  OF  THE  INDIANS. 

I  waited  some  little  time,  and  hearing  nothing 
I  got  frightened,  thinking  father  and  mother  had 
gone  away  and  left  me,  I  got  up,  ran  out  of  doors 
and  met  mother.  She  took  a  blanket  from  my 
bed,  saying,  ''Come  Elizabeth  and  see  the  Menom- 
inee Indians,  they  are  going  away.  They  must  go 
home  and  see  to  their  crops  and  cannot  stay  here 
any  longer."  I  said,  "Where  did  the  other  two 
come  from?"  She  made  a  quick  motion,  putting 
her  hand  over  her  mouth,  which  I  understood  was 
to  be  silent  and  ask  no  questions.  We  were  both 
speaking  in  French.  I  followed  her  to  the  beach, 
where  a  large  birch  bark  canoe  was  packed.    I  saw 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  131 

four  little  children  packed  away  Indian  fashion, 
each  had  a  little  black  puppy  dog  in  his  arms. 
The  tall  sick  Indian  got  in  first,  seating  himself 
and  smoking  his  pipe,  then  the  young  Indian 
woman  followed,  then  the  Indian  and  his  wife. 
There  were  many  "bou  shou's"  (good-byes)  spoken 
in  subdued  tones.  The  Indian  and  his  wife  took  the 
paddles,  father  gave  one  hard  push  and  away  sped 
the  bark  canoe  over  the  blue  water.  The  sky  was 
just  getting  red  in  the  east,  little  birds  were  twit- 
tering in  the  branches  of  the  trees,  we  all  stood 
watching  the  fast  receding  canoe,  which  soon 
looked  a  speck  upon  the  water.  I  ran  to  the  house 
and  crept  into  bed,  and  when  I  awakened  the  sun 
was  high.  I  asked  mother  where  the  Indians  were 
now ;  she  answered,  "They  are  far  away."  All  day 
she  seemed  cheerful,  and  I  heard  her  sing  for  the 
first  time  since  I  came  home  from  Ohio.  I  wan- 
dered down  to  the  Indian  camp  and  all  I  saw  was 
just  a  few  marks  where  the  wigwams  had  stood. 
No  rubbish  was  lying  about.  They  had  vanished 
as  if  they  had  never  been.  Surely  "They  had 
folded  their  tents  like  the  Arabs  and  as  silently 
stole  away." 

THE  APOSTLE  AND  HIS  FAMILY  AMONG  THE  INDIANS. 

It  was  eight  years  afterward  when  I  learned 
just  who  it  was  that  stole  away  on  that  quiet 
morning  in  the  bark  canoe.  I  was  living  for  a 
short  time  in  the  Green  Bay  country.  I  was  invited 
out  one  afternoon  to  a  quilting  party.  The  men 
were  to  come  for  supper  and  a  lady  was  to  play  for 


132  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

us  on  the  violin,  she  being  an  accomplished  mu- 
sician. She  had  come  there  from  Baltimore  for 
her  health.  As  we  sat  at  our  quilting  in  the  after- 
noon, one  of  the  women  asked  the  lady  of  the 
house  why  it  was  they  had  settled  there  near  the 
Menominee  Indian  reservation,  and  if  they  were 
not  afraid  to  be  killed  sometime  by  the  Indians. 
Then  the  lady  of  the  house  explained  and  told 
her  story  of  how  her  husband,  herself  and  child- 
ren had  been  saved  by  one  family  of  these  Indians 
with  the  help  of  a  white  family,  and  this  was  why 
her  husband  was  devoting  his  time  to  preaching 
among  the  Indians.  I,  being  a  stranger  in  the 
place,  had  not  met  this  family  before,  but  had  been 
invited  to  their  home  with  others.  Before  she  had 
finished  I  seemed  to  understand  it  all.  I  knew  now 
what  all  the  beads  and  bright  colored  ribbons  were 
used  for  and  I  knew  who  the  tall  sick  Indian  was 
with  the  pretty  young  Indian  woman  and  the  two 
little  children  with  the  others  in  the  canoe.  When 
I  made  myself  known  to  the  lady  and  her  family 
they  were  overjoyed  to  see  me.  I  met  them  several 
times  afterward,  and  she  told  me  how  they  crossed 
over  to  the  north  shore  and  kept  along  close  to  the 
shore,  camping  many  times  where  the  Indian  and 
his  wife  set  their  net  and  caught  all  the  fish  they 
needed  to  eat,  all  the  time  teaching  them  to  speak 
their  language.  They  did  not  go  direct  to  the 
Indian  settlement  until  fall,  then  her  husband  con- 
cluded to  settle  among  them  and  act  as  a  missionary 
to   them.      Never   very   strong   in   health   he   had 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  133 

grown  stronger  in  the  open  air  life.     Their  child- 
ren were  educated  at  Green  Bay. 

I  will  try  to  tell  just  a  little  of  this  woman's 
story.  Of  how  they  came  to  Beaver  Island  with 
many  others,  and  how  they  got  away  from  the 
Island  after  much  sorrow. 

THE    apostle's    WIFE's    STORY. 

Our  home  was  in  a  small  town  in  New  Jer- 
sey. We  had  a  little  farm  and  were  very  comfort- 
able. It  was  spring  time,  our  crops  were  planted 
and  growing.  It  was  told  us  one  day  two  men  had 
asked  for  our  little  church  to  hold  a  meeting  in  for 
a  couple  of  evenings  and  the  whole  neighborhood 
was  invited  to  attend.  My  husband  being  an 
elder  in  our  little  church  we,  with  many  other 
neighbors  went  to  hear  the  men  speak.  They  were 
both  good  talkers  and  we  were  all  greatly  inter- 
ested. They  continued  the  meetings  a  week  and  we 
all  became  so  interested  they  were  invited  to  re- 
main longer.  One  claimed  to  be  a  minister,  the 
other  an  elder.  They  told  a  great  deal  about  the 
Land  of  Promise  they  had  found.  My  husband's 
two  brothers  were  ready  to  join  and  prevailed  upon 
my  husband  to  come  with  them.  About  thirty 
were  ready  to  follow  the  new  preaching.  They  left 
us  to  go  to  other  parts  and  told  us  to  be  ready  at 
a  certain  time,  when  they  would  come  back  and  take 
us  with  them.  We  sold  our  little  farm  and  stock 
at  a  great  sacrifice,  keeping  only  our  bedding  and 
clothing,  as  they  told  us  it  was  a  long  journey. 
We  waited  for  them  to  come  until  November  and 


134  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

had  almost  given  up  in  despair,  when  one  day  they 
came.  When  we  started  there  were  twenty-five 
grown  people  with  their  children.  We  had  two 
small  children,  twins,  a  boy  and  a  girl.  Our  hopes 
were  high,  we  were  going  westward  they  told  us. 
We  took  a  steamboat  at  Buffalo,  as  they  told  us  no 
railroad  had  yet  been  built  to  reach  there.  The  trip 
was  hard,  cold  and  tedious.  Not  one  of  us  had 
ever  been  on  the  water  before.  We  were  afraid 
and  we  were  all  sick,  but  we  stood  it  as  bravely  as 
possible  and  hoped  for  better  times. 

It  was  a  dark,  stormy  night  when  we  landed. 
Snow  was  falling.  We  were  a  cold,  shivering 
company  as  we  stumbled  along  up  the  dock.  We 
were  taken  into  a  house,  where  we  soon  had  a 
warm  supper  and  were  told  we  could  sleep  on  the 
floor  if  we  had  bedding  of  our  own,  as  their  beds 
were  all  full.  We  made  our  beds  and  found  it 
very  cold,  as  doors  were  opening  and  shutting 
until  almost  morning.  We  were  all  put  into  one 
large  room  which  was  very  bare  of  furniture. 
Children  cried  and  there  was  not  very  much  sleep. 
At  the  first  peep  of  day  most  of  us  were  up  to 
take  our  first  look  at  the  Promised  Land.  At  first 
we  tried  to  look  out  of  the  windows,  but  they  were 
steamed  and  frosty  and  we  could  not  see.  We 
then  went  out  of  doors.  Our  first  glance  was  out 
on  the  cold,  rough  water  of  a  little  harbor,  as  they 
called  it,  and  never  shall  I  forget  the  lonely  feel- 
ing that  came  over  me.  All  was  silent  but  the 
sound  of  the  waves  that  washed  upon  the  shore. 
What  little  ground  was  visible  where  the  snow  had 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  135 

drifted  was  all  bare  white  sand.  There  were  many 
pretty  evergreen  trees  back  a  short  distance  from 
the  water.  There  being  few  houses  visible  we 
were  told  the  houses  and  farms  were  farther  back 
in  the  country.  We  were  called  to  breakfast,  and 
when  it  was  finished  we  were  told  we  could  go  to 
the  King's  house,  which  was  pointed  out  to  us,  and 
he  would  direct  us  what  to  do  next.  "The  King's 
House."  What  did  they  mean?  We  had  never 
heard  of  any  king.  They  said,  "You  will  soon 
know.  We  are  ruled  by  a  king  who  has  revela- 
tions direct  from  God.  There  are  twelve  apostles 
to  rule  with  him,  and  out  of  this  company  of  people 
he  will  choose  four  more  which  are  needed."  Our 
surprise  was  great.  We  were  anxious  to  know  all, 
so  were  taken  to  the  King's  house.  He  met  us  very 
kindly  and  explained  many  things  to  us.  He  talked 
considerable  about  his  revelations  and  what  he 
hoped  to  do  for  his  people.  His  manner  was  very 
captivating,  and  we  all  felt  much  encouraged  after 
he  had  talked  with  us.  We  were  all  divided  up 
among  the  other  families  on  the  island  until  we 
could  build  our  homes.  We  were  there  over  a 
week  before  we  knew  for  certain  we  were  on  an 
island.  To  me  it  was  a  terrible  shock  but  we  had  no 
time  to  think  much  about  it  only  what  we  should 
do  to  provide  shelter  for  the  long  winter.  The  King 
soon  left  to  go  travelling  for  the  winter  to  bring 
more  converts  in  the  spring. 

It  so  happened  the  home  we  went  to  live  in  the 
people  kept  a  boarding  house  and  I  soon  found  to  my 
horror  the  man  had  four  wives,  had  had  six  but  two 


136  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

were  dead.  We  soon  found  them  a  peculiar  people 
with  great  faith  in  Strang  and  of  his  building  up 
of  Zion  calling  themselves  Latter  Day  Saints,  or 
Mormons.  We  had  not  known  or  heard  of  this 
but  had  been  led  to  think  we  could  worship  as  we 
liked.  We  soon  found  it  was  best  not  to  exchange 
much  thought  with  our  neighbors  on  the  subject 
and  we  were  so  scattered  about  we  seldom  met 
only  at  meetings.  There  was  being  a  temple  built 
to  worship  in  and  my  husband  being  a  carpenter 
he  was  most  of  his  time  working  on  it.  We  soon 
learned  every  tenth  of  our  income  belonged  to  the 
King  and  many  extras  to  help  the  expenses.  It  took 
quite  a  large  sum  to  build  this  temple.  They  had 
a  small  saw  mill  and  there  the  lumber  was  cut. 
Everybody  was  busy.  We  were  ruled  by  a  man 
who  had  no  pity  for  any  one.  That  winter  was  too 
terrible  to  remember.  We  were  all  glad  to  have 
the  King  come  back  in  the  springtime.  He  brought 
more  people  who  seemed  to  have  more  means,  for 
those  who  had,  had  to  share  with  those  who  had 
little.  My  husband  and  his  two  brothers  were 
made  apostles  soon  after  Strang  came.  I  saw  very 
little  of  my  husband  after  he  was  made  an  apostle. 
There  was  always  somthing  to  be  talked  over  and 
explained,  so  the  King  had  to  have  most  of  their 
time. 

Our  funds  were  getting  low  and  I  felt  very  low 
spirited,  but  my  husband  told  me  he  thought  that 
everything  would  be  satisfactory  in  time.  I  longed 
to  be  free.  I  wanted  to  feel  I  could  talk  to  my  hus- 
band for  it  soon  dawned  upon  me  we  must  not 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  137 

discuss  the  subject  of  the  doctrine  only  with  a 
true  belief  in  all  of  Strang's  revelations.  The 
most  of  the  people  were  gay.  The  winter  time  was 
their  time  for  gaiety.  The  following  spring  after 
ive  came,  when  my  husband  was  made  an  apostle, 
there  was  a  great  feast  and  we  were  all  baptized 
in  the  waters  of  Little  Font  Lake.  The  King  was 
dressed  in  a  robe  of  white  and  purple.  He  gave  a 
short  brilliant  discourse.  To  most  of  them  the 
ceremony  was  impressive.  His  wife,  Mrs  Strang, 
did  not  attend  as  she  was  not  a  believer  in  the 
doctrine.  To  me  it  all  seemed  a  sham.  Just 
iDefore  my  husband  was  made  an  apostle  I  asked 
Strang  about  polygamy  and  why  some  had  more 
than  one  wife.  He  answered  that  they  had  practiced 
it  to  some  extent  in  Joseph  Smith's  time  but  he 
would  have  no  such  practice  but  had  allowed  those 
who  had  several  to  keep  them.  On  the  next  Sab- 
l)ath  he  preached  a  powerful  sermon  against 
polygamy.  I  felt  more  secure  because  I  hoped  he 
would  keep  his  word.  Very  soon  after  this  it  came 
like  a  thunderbolt  to  us.  The  king  had  a  revela- 
tion. He  must  take  more  wives,  and  very  soon 
took  some  more. 

In  his  absence  his  wife  took  her  three  children 
and  left.  Before  going  we  managed  to  meet,  as  we 
were  fast  friends  from  the  first.  She  adviseti 
me  to  persuade  my  husband  to  get  away 
as  soon  as  possible,  as  she  was  sure  there 
was  great  sorrow  in  store  for  me.  She  then 
told  me  any  disobedience  to  the  oath  of  allegiance 
•of  the  apostles,  to  the  king,  would  be  punished 


138  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

with  death,  saying  she  knew  this  to  be  true,  hav- 
ing overheard  the  apostle  that  ruled  in  her  hus- 
band's absence,  talking  about  it.  But  they  never 
knew  she  heard,  and  now  I  must  be  watchful. 
It  was  terrible  to  know  all  this,  yet  I  knew  she 
told  me  the  truth.  She  said,  "Make  a  confidant 
of  no  one."  We  had  talked  many  times  before 
this,  but  now  she  told  me  more,  saying,  "I 
would  stay  here  and  fight  it  to  the  bitter  end  but 
I  know  it  would  do  no  good.  My  life  would  soon 
be  ended.  They  have  already  said,  "Dead  people 
tell  no  tales."  "I  feel  sure  Strang's  own  life  is  in 
danger  by  the  plotting  of  his  head  apostle."  She 
ended  by  saying,  "I  never  expect  to  come  back  un- 
less I  can  help  some  poor  soul  to  be  happier.  If 
you  ever  need  a  friend's  help  send  a  letter  to  me. 
You  can  always  trust  the  Indians."  She  said,  "I 
have  warned  Strang  of  his  danger  and  begged  him 
to  put  away  that  bad  man,  but  he  will  not  heed  me." 
She  left.  I  was  very  sad,  but  not  yet  realizing  how 
soon  I  would  need  her  help. 

After  awhile  a  law  was  made  by  the  King  that 
all  officers  of  the  church  must  have  a  plurality  of 
wives.  Then  we  women  banded  ourselves  together, 
I  being  at  the  head,  we  met  the  king  in  the  temple 
and  took  votes,  coming  out  victorious  each  time. 
The  whole  island  was  in  a  state  of  agitation.  Every 
woman  interested  took  her  Bible  and  talked  and 
read  God's  laws  faster  than  the  king  could  tell  us 
about  his  revelations.  One  little  woman  spoke,  say- 
ing, "Take  all  our  earnings,  but  leave  us  our  hus- 
bands.   We  want  to  live  an  honest  life."    He  said  he 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  139 

did  not  propose  to  be  ruled  by  a  lot  of  weak,  whining 
women.  This  roused  me.  I  jumped  to  my  feet  and 
I  talked  two  hours.  He  answered  sarcastically  and 
I  answered  him  in  the  same  way.  I  recounted 
everything  to  him.  How  we  had  been  deceived.  He 
ordered  me  from  the  room,  and  when  his  guards  at- 
tempted to  obey  his  orders  the  other  women  inter- 
fered and  Strang  was  obliged  to  let  me  have  my 
say.  Often  the  women  applauded  me.  At  last  I 
could  speak  no  more.  I  was  exhausted,  but  I 
managed  to  tell  him  I  hoped  he  would  consider  all 
we  had  asked  of  him  and  grant  our  request.  After 
a  few  moments  of  silence  he  looked  me  in  the  face, 
saying,  "Madam,  you  have  shown  such  great  abil- 
ity in  discussing  this  matter  I  think  I  had  better 
put  my  temple  robe  upon  you."  I  answered  in  the 
same  sarcastic  tone,  "Yes,  and  I  think  your  robe 
would  be  far  more  becoming  to  me  than  it  is  to  you 
and  I  could  rule  the  people  and  make  them  happier 
than  you  have  so  far."  Never  can  I  forget  the  look 
of  hatred  he  gave  me.  The  men  hurried  me  from 
the  room  and  appeared  very  much  excited.  After 
I  left  other  women  made  an  appeal  to  him,  but  left 
without  gaining  any  promise  from  him,  saying  he 
would  give  them  an  answer  the  next  morning.  I 
heard  nothing  more.  Next  morning  I  was  sent 
home  in  a  lumber  wagon.  My  two  children  and 
husband  were  not  allowed  to  come  with  me.  My 
home  was  very  near  to  the  Gentile  settlement.  My 
heart  was  heavy.  I  went  to  some  of  my  Mormon 
neighbors.  Their  doors  were  shut  in  my  face  and 
none  spoke  to  me  when  I  met  them.    After  a  week 


140  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

I  was  very  sick  in  bed.  I  became  unconscious. 
When  I  realized  anything  I  recognized  a  Gentile 
neighbor.  She  was  preparing  some  food  for  me  to 
eat.  I  asked  her  many  questions  about  my  children 
and  husband,  but  she  could  give  me  no  information. 
She  told  me  I  had  many  friends  among  the  Mor- 
mons, as  it  was  a  Mormon  woman  who  had  direc- 
ted her  to  come  to  me.  She  told  me  to  be  quiet  and 
have  courage  and  all  would  be  well  and  that  I  must 
^et  well  as  fast  as  possible. 

Strang  had  gone  for  the  winter  and  she  feared 
there  might  be  trouble  between  the  Gentiles  and 
Mormons,  as  the  fishermen  felt  they  could  not  en- 
dure much  more  robbery.  I  felt  more  courage  be- 
cause I  knew  this  woman  had  an  influence  with  the 
Indians,  as  she  could  speak  their  language  and  was 
always  the  Indian's  friend.  This  woman's  children 
were  away  for  the  winter  and  her  heart  was  sad. 
We  could  sympathize  with  each  other.  One  dark 
night  in  March  I  heard  a  gentle  tap  at  my  window. 
I  opened  the  door.  It  was  my  husband.  He  had  been 
handed  a  note  that  morning  saying,  "Go  home.  You 
are  safe  for  awhile."  He  had  walked  all  the  distance 
after  dark.  Next  day  the  neighbor  woman  came 
and  told  me  my  children  were  both  well  and  cared 
for.  Oh  joy !  I  could  get  well  now,  and  gained  my 
strength  fast. 

Navigation  opened ;  Strang  came  home,  remain- 
ing only  a  few  days.  He  was  becoming  greatly 
troubled  over  the  discontent  of  his  people  and 
thought  best  to  be  away  for  a  time.  The  fishermen 
began  to  come,  and  several  Indian  families  came  also 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  \A\ 

to  fish  and  make  oil.  Myself  and  husband  were  left 
to  ourselves.  One  night  a  letter  came  to  my  husband 
saying,  "When  the  king  comes  home  Mr.  Sin- 
clair must  be  prepared  to  obey  the  law  or  suffer  the 
consequences."  It  was  signed  by  the  head  apostle. 
My  husband  was  greatly  worried,  knowing  the  laws 
so  well.  In  my  heart  I  asked  God  to  help  me  in  my 
sore  distress.  I  recalled  the  words  of  Mrs.  Strang 
that  if  ever  I  needed  a  friend  to  call  on  her  and  she 
would  come  if  possible.  I  wrote  her  to  come.  I 
gave  the  letter  to  my  faithful  friend. 

The  letter  was  taken  to  Mackinac  Island  and 
from  there  it  was  taken  to  Mrs.  Strang.  She  came, 
she  got  my  children  and  brought  them  to  the  Indian 
camp.  Myself  and  husband  were  disguised  as  In- 
dians, our  children  the  same,  and  all  were  taken 
away  from  the  island  in  a  birch  bark  canoe. 

CHOLERA    AT    THE    ISLAND. 

The  summer  was  passing,  it  was  late  in  Aug- 
ust. Cholera  was  raging  at  Mackinac  Island. 
Fifty-two  deaths  had  occurred  there  and  three 
deaths  occurred  at  Beaver  Island.  A  lady  was 
boarding  with  us  from  Mount  Clemens.  Her  two 
youngest  children  died  from  cholera  in  our  house. 
My  father  and  I  both  had  it  but  recovered.  Also 
a  captain  of  a  small  vessel  died.  After  the  deaths 
our  clothing  was  all  washed  and  the  Mormons  came, 
taking  everything  they  could  find.  They  took  sev- 
eral boats  and  all  the  fish  from  the  fish  houses  be- 
tween Cable's  dock  and  the  harbor.  It  was  now 
becoming  serious  between  the  Gentiles  and  the  Mor- 


M2  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

mons.  Peter  McKinley  had  moved  his  family  to 
Mackinac  Island,  not  considering  it  safe  to  carry 
on  business  any  longer.  Mr.  Cable  had  also  left 
and  gone  to  Indiana.  His  uncle,  Mr.  Alva 
Cable,  came  with  his  vessel,  taking  C.  R.  Wright 
and  family,  with  several  others,  to  Charlevoix, 
then  called  "Pine  River."  All  the  Ohio,  Canada 
and  Detroit  fishermen  had  gone  home.  My  two 
brothers  had  gone  to  Detroit  to  school  for  the  win- 
ter. Our  family,  and  seven  others,  were  the  only 
Gentiles  left  on  the  island,  and  we  were  preparing 
to  leave  as  soon  as  possible.  One  morning  about 
the  first  of  November  a  messenger  came  to  every 
Gentile  family  with  a  letter  from  the  king,  saying 
every  Gentile  family  must  come  to  the  harbor  and 
be  baptized  into  the  Church  of  Zion  or  leave  the 
island  within  ten  days  after  receiving  the  notice 
signed  by  the  King,  James  J.  Strang.  Within 
twenty- four  hours  after  receiving  the  notice  every 
Gentile  family  had  gone  but  ours.  They  had  taken 
what  they  could  in  their  fish  boats.  Our  boat  being 
small,  father  thought  best  to  wait  for  a  vessel  to 
come  and  take  us  away.  The  fourth  day  no  vessel 
had  come.  Father  feared  the  message  to  the  captain 
of  the  vessel  had  not  been  delivered,  which  had 
been  sent  by  an  Indian  family  going  home  to  the 
Old  Mission.  Winds  were  ahead,  the  weather 
rough.  Our  goods  were  packed,  and  every  day 
some  Mormon  men  could  be  seen  walking  along  the 
beach,  each  carrying  a  gun,  but  none  ever  spoke 
to  us.  These  were  anxious  days  to  us,  watching  and 
waiting  for  a  sail.    Father  had  made  up  his  mind 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  143 

if  the  vessel  did  not  come  we  would  take  what  we 
could  in  our  small  boat  and  go  to  the  Indians  for 
protection  until  we  could  get  to  the  main  land.  The 
evening  of  the  ninth  day  had  come  and  no  welcome 
sail  in  sight.  John  Goeing,  our  faithful  friend, 
was  with  us  and  cheered  us  with  his  strong  faith 
that  the  vessel  would  come  in  time. 

I  had  laid  down  and  fallen  asleep.  I  was  wak- 
ened by  hearing  low  voices  talking.  I  listened  a 
few  moments  and  knew  it  was  Mr.  Bower.  He  was 
the  man  who  had  doctored  father  when  he  was 
sick.  He  had  stolen  away  from  his  home  in  the  dark- 
ness and  came  to  sympathize  with  us.  He  then  told 
us  he  was  going  to  leave  the  island  the  next 
spring  if  possible,  as  he  was  tired  of  the  life  he  had 
to  live  among  the  Mormons,  saying,  "There  are 
many  excellent  people  here  that  would  be  glad  to 
go,  but  they  have  no  means  to  go  with  and  fear 
to  try  to  go."  With  a  warm  clasp  of  the  hand 
and  a  good-by  to  all,  he  was  gone. 

LEAVING  THE  ISLAND. 

I  was  called  from  a  sound  sleep  by  my  mother 
saying,  "Get  up  quick  Elizabeth,  here  is  the  vessel 
at  anchor  just  in  front  of  our  house."  I  was  up  in 
a  minute  and  ran  out  to  see.  Yes,  there  was  the 
little  vessel  resting  so  quietly  on  the  water.  Fa- 
ther and  John  were  carrying  goods  to  the  shore,  the 
captain  and  another  man  were  loading  the  yawl, 
mother  and  I  carried  what  we  could.  Our  pets  had 
all  been  put  on  board,  our  clothing  and  most  of 
our  bedding  was  loaded.  Mother  and  I  had  gone 
to  the  vessel.    All  was  loaded  except  a  few  boxes 


144  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

and  two  large  trunks.  When  father  and  John 
started  to  go  back  to  the  shore  after  them  several 
men  were  standing  beside  the  goods  and  each  had 
a  gun  in  his  hands.  This  was  enough.  Father 
knew  the  rest  of  our  goods  must  be  left.  Our  sails 
were  quickly  hoisted,  the  anchor  pulled  up  and 
soon  we  were  sailing  toward  Charlevoix,  where  we 
knew  our  friends  were  waiting  for  us.  The  sun  was 
just  coming  up  in  the  east,  and  as  we  looked  back 
we  could  see  the  door  of  our  house  stood  open  as 
our  doors  had  always  been  to  strangers  or  any  who 
needed  help.  None  had  ever  gone  away  cold  or 
hungry.  And  some  of  the  people  who  now  stood  on 
the  shore  with  guns  pointed  toward  us  had  been  fed 
and  cared  for  by  my  people. 

With  a  fresh  breeze  and  a  fair  wind  our  little 
vessel  was  nearing  Charlevoix,  the  land  that  seemed 
to  promise  us  safety.  Surely  there  we  could  live  in 
peace.  As  we  neared  the  river  we  could  see  our 
friends  waiting  for  us  on  the  shore.  We  came  to 
anchor  on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  the  wind 
making  a  big  sea  at  the  river's  mouth.  I  remember 
how  happy  we  all  felt  that  night  to  be  with  friends 
and  no  Mormons  to  be  afraid  of.  Mr.  Alva  Cable 
had  built  a  large  house  and  shop  on  the  south  side 
of  the  river  on  the  bank,  very  close  to  the  water. 
The  lumber  he  had  bought  at  Traverse  City.  Cap- 
tain Morrison  had  built  his  house  also  on  the  south 
side  just  close  to  the  river  bank.  Several  houses 
were  made  on  the  north  side  of  the  river.  There 
were  twenty-five  families  of  Gentiles,  and  two  Mor- 
mon families  had  stolen  away  with  the  fishermen, 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  145 

claiming  their  protection,  which  was  freely  prom- 
ised them.  One  was  a  Mormon  elder  and  his  family, 
the  other  a  young  man  living  with  his  widowed 
mother. 

THE    LITTLE    VILLAGE    OF    CHARLEVOIX. 

The  little  village  of  Charlevoix  was  just  about 
complete.  Our  house  was  built  just  beside  the  river, 
not  far  from  the  shore,  with  just  room  for  a  foot 
path  between  the  house  and  the  river  bank.  A 
high  hill  was  on  the  other  side  of  us.  One  night 
a  storm  came  up  with  a  great  tidal  wave  and  Mr. 
Cable's  house  was  almost  washed  away.  The  whole 
village  turned  out  and  helped  to  save  the  goods. 
Many  of  the  neighbors  had  advised  him  not  to  put 
his  house  so  near  the  water,  but  he  said  he  always 
liked  to  ''experiment."  Next  time  he  built  his  house 
farther  up  the  river,  several  rods  below  where  now 
stands  the  Lewis  Opera  House.  Fishing  being 
good,  those  that  had  not  had  their  nets  stolen 
put  them  out,  catching  all  the  fish  they  could  take 
care  of.  Mr.  Cable  had  a  cooper  shop  which  em- 
ployed several  men.  He  kept  a  store,  supplying  gro- 
ceries and  provisions  to  the  little  village,  and  hav- 
ing a  few  dry  goods  to  supply  their  needs.  When 
Christmas  and  New  Years  came  the  people  had  many 
little  parties  and  took  their  dinner  together.  Many 
of  them  employed  their  time  by  preparing  their 
nets  and  knitting  new  ones  for  the  next  season's 
fishing.  There  was  no  sickness  and  all  felt  very 
happy  and  secure  from  the  Mormons,  at  least  while 
the  winter  lasted. 


«46  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

WILLIAM   DAVENPORT  OUR   MAIL   CARRIER. 

Our  mails  came  every  two  weeks.  Our  mail 
carrier  was  William  Davenport  of  Mackinac  Island, 
his  route  being  from  the  Island  to  Traverse  City, 
calling  at  Old  Mission  and  Elk  Rapids.  Davenport 
had  four  large  hound  dogs.  His  sled  was  made  of 
thin  boards  steamed  and  bent  at  one  end,  with  many 
little  ribs  or  cleats  across  to  give  it  strength.  It 
glided  along  on  top  of  the  snow  and  would  hold 
heavy  loads.  It  was  called  a  train.  The  winter 
was  extremely  cold,  with  deep  snow  and  heavy  ice. 
The  mail  carrier  always  stopped  with  us  over  night 
each  way,  going  south  and  coming  north,  our  peo- 
ple knowing  his  parents  so  well  he  always  felt  at 
home  with  us.  It  was  always  a  pleasure  seeing  the 
mail  carrier  coming  with  his  dogs  and  great  pouches 
full  of  mail.  The  tinkling  of  the  bells  around  the 
dogs'  necks  always  made  us  drop  our  work  to  see 
them  coming  on  a  fast  trot,  for  the  dogs  enjoyed 
being  noticed  and  petted.  Always  a  crowd  gath- 
ered around  William  to  hear  the  news  from  the 
outside.  He  always  trimmed  the  harness  up  with 
gay  colored  ribbons  before  coming  to  the  village. 
How  we  children  loved  to  watch  those  great  dogs 
run  and  play  when  taken  out  of  the  harness,  rolling 
over  each  other  in  the  deep  snow.  Father  made 
them  a  warm  place  to  sleep  in  the  woodshed.  Dav- 
enport always  had  various  little  packages  for  the 
whole  village.  He  was  obliging  and  good  natured. 
All  of  northern  Michigan  in  those  days  had  very 
few  white  settlers.    Only  just  now  and  then  a  white 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  147 

family.  Indians  were  everywhere.  In  the  summer 
season  their  bark  canoes  could  be  seen  coming  and 
going  in  all  directions.  The  smoke  from  their  wig- 
wams was  seen  rising  along  the  lake  shore  where 
they  fished  and  made  gardens.  In  winter  they  usu- 
ally went  further  inland  to  hunt. 

OPENING    OF    NAVIGATION. 

Navigation  was  now  open.  Boats  and  vessels 
could  be  seen  passing.  Fishermen  had  come  from 
Detroit,  Cleveland,  Lake  Huron  and  Canada.  Sev- 
eral had  brought  their  families  to  spend  the  sum- 
mer beside  the  sea.  My  brothers  came  with  the 
rest.  Mr.  Cable,  or  Uncle  Alva  as  he  was  called  by 
every  one,  was  very  happy.  He  felt  sure  the  little 
village  would  grow  fast,  as  he  intended  making 
many  improvements  as  soon  as  possible.  Word 
soon  came  from  Beaver  Island  for  those  two  Mor- 
mon families  to  come  back  to  the  island.  In  some 
way  the  Mormons  had  found  out  the  men  were  with 
the  Gentiles.  The  men  sent  back  word  that  they 
would  never  go  back.  Soon  another  message  came 
saying  a  boat  with  force  enough  would  be  sent  to 
bring  them  to  the  island. 

As  soon  as  navigation  opened  Strang  extended 
his  territory  by  sending  several  families  to  South 
Fox  Island  and  several  more  to  Grand  Traverse, 
where  they  settled  near  the  pretty  little  harbor, 
which  they  named  "Bower's  Harbor"  in  honor  of 
the  man  who  had  charge  of  the  little  settlement, 
where  a  beautiful  resort  is  now  situated  at  the  har- 
bor, which  is  called  "Neahtawanta"  (peaceful  wa- 


148  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

ters.)  Those  who  settled  there  were  Mormons  only 
in  name,  as  they  were  only  too  glad  to  get  away 
from  the  island.  About  this  time  it  was  becoming 
quite  difficult  for  Strang  to  manage  all  his  people. 
The  new  people  coming  to  the  island  had  very  little 
faith  in  his  "Divine  Revelations."  They  enjoyed 
the  island  life  for  its  healthful  climate.  Strang 
was  losing  hold  upon  many  of  his  people.  The  new- 
comers had  means  of  their  own  and  felt  free  to 
come  and  go  when  they  pleased.  Many  of  the 
women  were  refusing  to  wear  the  bloomer  dress 
and  their  hair  cut  short.  This  greatly  annoyed 
Strang,  for  he  could  see  he  was  fast  losing  control 
of  the  people.  There  had  been  many  improvements, 
farms  were  well  cultivated,  a  new  dock  and  store 
at  the  harbor  village,  roads  made  through  the 
island,  good  warm  houses  with  gardens  attached, 
and  the  most  of  them  were  very  comfortable. 

COMING  OF  THE    MORMONS. 

One  bright,  clear  day,  the  14th  of  July,  185J, 
our  men  were  nearly  all  on  the  lake  at  their  work. 
A  watch  was  kept  every  day  by  our  people  from 
the  high  hill  near  us,  where  the  lake  could  be  seen 
for  many  miles.  Father  and  Captain  Morrison 
were  on  duty  this  day,  taking  turns  in  watching. 
The  men  on  the  lake  also  keeping  a  close  watch 
toward  the  island.  Sometime  in  the  forenoon  of 
that  day  two  small  dark  objects  could  be  seen  upon 
the  calm  water  in  the  direction  of  Beaver  Island. 
Captain  Morrison  took  a  powerful  field  glass  and 
soon  made  out  the  objects  were  fish  boats  coming 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  149 

from  the  island.  The  boats  were  being  rowed  and 
seemed  to  come  slow,  keeping  very  close  together. 
We  watched  their  approach  with  anxious  hearts, 
fearing  our  men  would  not  see  them  in  time  to 
reach  shore  as  soon  as  the  boats  came.  It  so  hap- 
pened on  that  day  nearly  all  the  women  were  to- 
gether at  a  quilting  party  given  by  Mrs.  Morrison. 
When  they  learned  the  Mormons  were  coming  they 
became  greatly  excited  at  first,  knowing  their  hus- 
bands had  made  up  their  minds  to  fight  if  necessary. 
Father  and  the  captain  began  to  prepare  everything 
for  battle.  Thinking  there  might  not  be  bullets 
enough  the  lead  was  melted  and  father  said  to  me, 
''Here  Elizabeth,  take  these  moulds  and  run  the 
bullets,"  which  I  did.  We  had  notified  Uncle  Alva 
Cable  and  he,  too,  was  preparing.  The  boats  came 
along,  steadily  nearing  the  shore.  At  one  time  all 
took  them  to  be  Indians,  but  as  they  came  nearer 
it  was  plain  they  were  white  people.  A  short  time 
before  they  landed  we  saw  the  white  sails  of  our 
fishing  fleet  hoisted  nearly  all  at  one  time.  Then 
we  were  sure  they  had  seen  the  strange  boats  com- 
ing. A  light  breeze  sprang  up  fair  for  our  boats 
and  they  came  sailing  in  to  land.  The  fishermen's 
boats  would  land  over  by  the  south  point  from  the 
river,  as  that  made  the  best  landing.  This  was  some 
little  distance,  a  mile  or  more  by  land.  Captain 
Alorrison  went  round  by  the  path  back  from  the 
beach  so  that  he  would  not  be  seen  by  the  Mormons. 
He  was  to  notify  the  men  to  come  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible. 


150  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

TO  BRING  THEM  DEAD  OR  ALIVE. 

My  father  went  down  the  shore  to  meet  the 
Mormons.  They  landed  on  the  south  side  of  the 
river,  and  the  boats  were  landed  side  by  side.  The 
head  man  of  the  boats  was  one  of  the  Pierce  bro- 
thers. Father  asked  him  his  business.  He  said, 
"We  have  come  to  take  the  two  men  that  are  here 
with  you.  Our  orders  are  to  bring  them  dead  or 
alive."  Father  said,  "Why  do  you  want  these  men? 
They  have  left  you  and  will  do  you  no  harm.  Why 
not  let  them  go  when  they  do  not  want  to  stay  with 
you  ?  And  I  warn  you  now,  Mr.  Pierce,  our  people 
have  made  up  their  minds  to  give  these  men  their 
protection  and  it  will  not  be  best  to  try  to  force 
them  to  give  them  up.  If  you  do  try  to  take  them 
there  will  be  trouble,  so  you  had  better  go."  He 
answered,  "I  will  never  leave  this  shore  until  we 
have  these  men,  and  we  will  make  you  all  as  humble 
as  mice,  and  your  blood  shall  mingle  with  these 
waters  if  you  attempt  to  resist  us,"  and  many  more 
boastful  threats,  which  he  made  while  he  kept 
walking  about  swinging  his  arms.  Father  talked 
to  him  quietly,  but  he  would  not  be  quieted.  He 
grew  more  fierce  every  moment.  After  a  time  the 
youngest  of  the  men  they  came  after  walked  down 
to  the  boat,  telling  Pierce  himself  he  would  not  be 
taken  back  by  them.  He  and  the  leader  had  many 
hot  words  together  pertaining  to  their  own  troubles 
which  they  had  had  together  before  he  left  them. 
He  had  been  a  member  of  Pierce's  crew  and  becom- 
ing tired  of  the  life  had  quit  them.     This  they  did 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  151 

not  like,  as  they  knew  he  knew  too  many  of  their 
secrets.  Soon  Captain  Morrison  came  back  and 
walked  down  to  the  boats,  telling  them  not  to  per- 
sist in  taking  the  men.  Pierce  was  more  furious 
than  ever.  Father  and  the  two  others  walked  away 
from  them  towards  the  house.  The  Mormons 
talked  a  few  minutes  together.  One  boat  captain 
seemed  to  want  to  push  off  his  boat  and  go.  But 
Pierce  would  not  let  him.  I  stood  looking  out  of 
a  small  window  from  Captain  Morrison's  house. 
I  could  see  directly  on  to  both  boats  and  was  but 
a  short  distance  from  them.  I  could  hear  almost 
every  word  spoken  by  the  leader,  as  he  spoke  in  a 
loud,  deep  voice. 

THE  BATTLE  AT  CHARLEVOIX. 

Soon  shots  were  fired,  I  cannot  say  how  many. 
All  was  confusion,  women  were  screaming,  some 
were  praying.  Men  were  talking,  trying  to  quiet 
them.  I  never  took  my  eyes  from  the  Mormon 
boats,  and  when  the  smoke  cleared  away  I  saw  the 
men  hurriedly  push  their  boats  off  and  jump  into 
them,  taking  their  oars  and  pulling  with  all  their 
might.  Then  I  saw  our  men  coming  towards  the 
house  carrying  a  man  who  seemed  to  be  dead,  as 
blood  was  streaming  down.  The  form  looked  fa- 
miliar to  me.  I  ran  to  the  door  and  saw  it  was  my 
brother  Lewis.  They  carried  him  home,  laying  him 
down  and  examined  his  wound.  He  was  shot  in 
the  calf  of  the  leg.  It  was  a  flesh  wound.  The 
place  was  small  where  the  bullet  went  in,  but  the 
flesh  was  badly  torn  where  the  bullet  came  out.    Ex- 


152  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

citement  was  great;  the  men  wanted  to  follow  the 
Mormon  boats.  At  the  river  there  were  but  two 
boats  at  the  time,  our  own,  which  was  too  small,  and 
Captain  Morrison's,  which  was  a  large,  heavy  boat. 

GIVING  CHASE  TO  THE  MORMONS. 

The  men  concluded  at  last  to  take  that  boat  and 
give  chase  to  the  Mormons,  as  the  delay  would  be 
too  great  in  getting  a  boat  from  the  fishermen's 
landing.  So  the  boat  was  manned  by  a  double  crew 
to  row.  One  man  was  placed  in  the  bow  with  his 
rifle  to  shoot  into  the  Mormon's  boats  and  sink 
them  if  possible.  Every  bullet  he  shot  seemed  to 
take  effect.  Our  men  were  powerful  oarsmen,  and 
in  spite  of  the  distance  the  two  boats  had  made  be- 
fore our  men  had  got  started,  our  boat  was  gaining 
on  them  fast.  Soon  one  of  the  Mormon  boats  was 
sinking,  and  they  made  some  delay  by  getting  out 
of  the  sinking  boat  into  the  other.  Our  men  were 
straining  every  nerve  to  overtake  them,  which  they 
soon  would  have  done  had  not  the  Mormons  hur- 
ried toward  a  large  vessel  which  lay  becalmed  just 
ahead  of  them.  It  was  getting  dusk,  but  everything 
could  be  plainly  seen. 

MORMONS   SAVED   BY   "bARK   MORGAN." 

The  Mormons  rowed  with  all  their  might  to  the 
vessel,  telling  the  captain  that  they  were  fishermen 
and  that  the  Mormons  were  chasing  them  and  beg- 
ged to  be  saved  from  their  enemies.  Of  course 
the  captain  could  do  no  less  than  let  them  get 
aboard  his  vessel,  which  they  soon  did.  Our  men 
came  as  near  to  the  vessel  as  they  could  and  told 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.       .         153 

the  captain  how  it  was.  He  told  them  he  could  not 
do  anything,  and  it  was  best  for  them  to  go  quietly 
home,  which  they  did.  The  vessel  was  the  "Bark 
Morgan."  It  was  stated  in  "The  Northern  Island- 
er," a  paper  edited  and  printed  at  the  island,  that 
seven  were  killed  and  five  wounded  of  the  Mor- 
mons at  the  battle  of  Charlevoix.  A  man  who 
boarded  with  me  several  years  after  this  happened 
told  me  that  this  was  the  correct  number.  As  he 
was  in  the  boat  and  one  of  the  wounded,  he  being 
shot  in  the  shoulder.  He  was  very  young  when  he 
was  in  training  with  these  bad  men.  He  also  told 
us  that  Pierce,  the  leader,  was  very  angry  and  had 
planned  to  come  back  and  drive  us  away  or  murder 
us  all.  They  wanted  to  settle  there  themselves*, 
which  they  did  as  soon  as  we  left. 

LEAVING  CHARLEVOIX. 

Mr.  Alva  Cable  called  the  people  together  and 
consulted  about  what  was  best  to  be  done.  Some 
wanted  to  remain  and  fight  the  Mormons  if  they 
came  again,  but  the  women  all  wanted  to  go.  About 
that  time  a  Mormon  that  had  left  the  island  and 
never  intended  to  go  back,  advised  us  all  to  go. 
So  it  was  decided  we  should  get  away  as  soon  as 
possible,  as  news  kept  coming  that  it  was  not  safe 
for  us  to  remain  longer.  Mr.  Alva  Cable,  Wrights 
and  many  other  families  went  to  Little  Traverse, 
now  Harbor  Springs,  my  two  brothers  going  with 
them.  My  father  decided  we  should  go  to  Traverse 
City.  Our  friend,  John  Goeing,  had  left  us  the 
week  before  the  Mormons  came.    He  received  a  let- 


154  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

ter  from  home.  His  mother  was  very  sick  and 
wanted  to  see  her  son  before  she  died.  He  went  to 
Mackinac  Island,  and  from  there  took  a  steamer  to 
Buffalo.  He  wrote  us  just  before  he  took  the 
steamer  from  New  York  City,  promising  to  write 
us  as  soon  as  he  reached  home.  We  never  heard 
from  him  again.  We  felt  sorry  to  have  him  go. 
He  had  been  with  us  four  years  and  seemed  like 
one  of  our  own  family. 

Our  friends  and  neighbors  were  all  gone.  We 
were  left  alone  at  Charlevoix.  Waiting  patiently 
for  the  little  vessel  to  come  from  Northport  which 
was  to  take  us  to  Traverse  City.  At  last  we  saw 
the  white  sails  which  proved  to  be  our  vessel.  It 
was  dark  before  the  vessel  anchored  outside  the 
river.  The  night  was  warm,  our  goods  were  on 
board,  all  was  silent,  only  the  splash  of  the  waves 
as  they  washed  along  the  shore.  The  little  village 
was  in  darkness  when  we  closed  the  latch  to  our 
door  and  walked  down  to  the  little  yawl  waiting  for 
us  to  be  taken  on  board.  We  were  soon  on  the  deck 
of  the  little  vessel,  the  moon  was  rising,  and  by  the 
time  our  sails  were  up  and  we  were  ready  to  start 
the  water  was  sparkling  like  diamonds  as  the  soft 
light  shone  upon  it.  Never  had  we  appreciated  its 
beauty  before  as  now  in  this  beautiful  moonlight. 
Tears  were  in  our  eyes,  for  we  had  been  very  happy 
there  with  our  neighbors.  Now  we  were  leaving  all 
and  going  to  a  strange  place,  but  we  hoped  to  find  a 
place  of  safety.  Long  we  watched  the  beautiful 
shore  as  we  sailed  along  in  the  light  breeze.  Again 
we  were  driven  from  home.    Father  helped  the  cap- 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  155 

tain  sail  the  vessel.  Mother  and  I  lay  down  for  a 
while  in  the  little  cabin.  I  was  wakened  by  hear- 
ing the  anchor  chain  when  the  captain  said,  "Here 
we  are  at  Northport."  We  visited  there  several 
days.  The  captain's  home  was  there.  We  met 
many  kind  people,  who  invited  us  to  make  our  home 
with  them  for  the  time  of  our  stay.  We  accepted 
the  invitation  of  the  Rev.  George  Smith  and  were 
nicely  entertained  by  himself  and  his  family.  Their 
beautiful  vine  covered  home  was  a  perfect  bower  of 
roses.  The  most  beautiful  flowers  grew  every- 
where about  their  grounds.  Mr.  Smith  was  a  Con- 
gregational minister.  His  family  were  very  musi- 
cal, and  our  stay  of  nearly  a  week  is  a  bright  spot 
in  my  memory. 

Our  little  vessel  had  to  have  some  repairs  be- 
fore we  could  proceed  on  our  journey.  We  then 
sailed  direct  to  Bower's  harbor,  remaining  two  days 
with  our  old  friend,  Mr.  Bower.  Himself  and  wife 
were  glad  to  see  us  and  to  know  we  had  escaped 
safely  from  Mormon  persecutions.  They  were 
very  happily  situated  in  their  new  home  and  their 
new  surroundings  of  scenery  were  very  beautiful. 
Oh,  how  glad  Mrs.  Bower  was  to  be  released  from 
Mormon  rule. 

TRAVERSE  CITY. 

The  day  was  fair,  the  sun  shone  bright  when  our 
sails  were  filled  with  the  breeze  that  carried  us 
along  over  the  blue  waters  to  Traverse  City.  Ar- 
riving at  Traverse  City,  we  found  several  people 
whom  we  knew,  so  we  felt  that  we  were  not  entirely 


156  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

among  strangers.  We  were  soon  comfortably  set- 
tled among  very  kind  neighbors.  Traverse  City 
at  that  time  was  very  new.  The  Boardman  Com- 
pany had  settled  there  to  lumber.  The  firm  of 
Hannah,  Lay  &  Co.  bought  the  Boardman  Com- 
pany out.  A  steam  saw  mill,  also  a  water  mill  run 
by  water  power.  This  small  mill  was  in  the  west 
part  of  town  beside  the  big  mill  pond.  The  com- 
pany's big  boarding  house  was  where  the  company's 
men  boarded.  This  was  in  charge  of  Dr.  D.  C. 
Goodale.  Then  the  company's  store,  with  a  large 
stock  of  general  merchandise,  presided  over  by  the 
genial  clerk,  H.  D.  Campbell,  or  "Little  Henry," 
as  we  children  always  called  him.  He  was  the 
children's  friend.  No  matter  how  busy  he  might 
be  he  always  had  a  kind  word  and  a  pleasant  smile 
for  us  children.  Then  there  was  the  large  steam 
mill  and  blacksmith  shop  just  beyond  the  store. 
There  was  no  bridge  there  then  to  cross  the  river 
on.  We  children  most  always  crossed  over  on  the 
boom  which  held  the  logs  in  the  river.  The  only 
bridge  on  the  river  was  up  near  the  Boardman 
Lake. 

HAPPY  SCHOOL  DAYS  IN  TRAVERSE  CITY. 

The  school  house  was  near  the  river  bank,  just 
about  opposite  to  the  river's  mouth.  It  stood  back 
far  enough  for  a  good  wide  street.  It  was  in  the 
midst  of  a  pretty  grove  of  small  oak  trees  that 
reached  their  branches  far  out,  giving  cool  shade 
where  we  could  sit  and  eat  our  lunch.  The  ever- 
greens and  maple  trees  were  mixed  about,  giving 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  157 

it  a  variety  of  change.  Wild  roses  grew  every- 
where. It  was  truly  an  ideal  spot  that  we  never 
tired  of. 

Our  teacher  was  Miss  Helen  Goodale.  I  will 
just  mention  a  few  names  of  the  scholars  I  first 
met  on  the  morning  of  my  first  school  day  in  Trav- 
erse City.  Alexander,  James  and  Jane  Carmicheal, 
George,  John  and  Tom  Guttler,  James,  William  and 
Richard  Garland,  Augusta  and  Lucius  Smith, 
Helen  Rutherford  and  brother,  Albert  Norris  and 
Agnes  Goodale,  sister  of  the  teacher. 

The  next  year  more  people  came  and  more 
scholars.  Our  little  school  house  was  filled.  We 
were  a  happy  lot,  seeming  almost  like  one  family. 
We  drank  from  the  same  cup,  swung  in  the  same 
swing,  sharing  our  lunches  together,  and  no  matter 
where  we  have  roamed  through  the  wide  world  can 
we  forget  that  little  old  log  school  house.  I  have 
seen  it  many  times  in  my  dreams,  and  the  happy 
faces  of  each  as  we  tried  to  excel  to  please  the 
teacher.  We  all  loved  her,  though  trying  her  pa- 
tience often.  Yet  we  knew  and  felt  she  loved  us. 
Oh,  happy  school  days  and  pleasant  school  compan- 
ions! Only  a  few  of  us  are  left  at  this  writing, 
many  have  crossed  over  on  the  other  side,  yet  I  be- 
lieve it  will  be  a  happy  re-union  if  sometime  we  may 
meet  where  no  good-byes  are  said. 

EARLY   DAYS   OF   TRAVERSE   CITY. 

Very  near  to  our  school  house  east  Mr.  J.  K. 
Gunton  built  the  house  which  bore  the  name  of 
"The  Gunton  House,"  and  was  run  with  success  by 


158  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

himself  and  wife  for  a  number  of  years.  There  was 
no  steamboats  coming  to  Traverse  City  in  those 
days.  The  lumber  was  shipped  by  vessel  to  Chi- 
cago. The  schooner  "Telegraph"  made  regular 
trips  every  two  weeks.  The  "Telegraph"  brought 
all  the  supplies  for  the  Company.  At  the  opening 
of  navigation  it  was  a  pleasant  sound  to  hear  some- 
one say  for  the  first  time,  "Here  comes  The  Tele- 
graph." Our  mails  were  brought  by  a  mail  carrier 
from  Grand  Rapids.  An  Indian  and  sometimes  a 
white  man  carried  the  mail.  It  was  brought  down 
along  the  shore,  it  being  considered  the  safest  way 
to  travel  alone.  Sometimes  the  rivers  had  no 
bridges  and  the  mail  carrier  had  to  swim  across. 
Mr.  Hugh  McGinnis  carried  the  mail  on  that  long 
lonely  route  for  a  long  time  while  we  lived  there. 
No  farms  were  yet  cleared  about  Traverse  City 
at  that  time.  Mr.  Lyman  Smith  being  the  only  fam- 
ily living  out  at  Silver  Lake,  seven  miles  south  of 
this  city.  Soon  Mr.  Alvin  Smith  took  some  land 
on  the  west  side  of  Silver  Lake  with  Mr.  West. 
More  people  moved  in,  and  soon  the  Bohemians 
came  in,  settling  on  the  east  side  of  Silver  Lake 
and  made  nice  homes  for  themselves.  Mr.  Rice's 
family  came  the  next  year  after  we  came.  There 
were  five  girls  in  their  family.  The  two  eldest  soon 
married,  the  other  three  entered  school.  MelHsa, 
Emma  and  Annie.  They  lived  very  near  to  us  and 
we  girls  were  always  fast  friends.  We  walked  to 
school,  picked  berries  in  summer  time,  played,  sang 
and  worked  together.  And  of  all  the  places  we 
liked  best  to  go  was  out  to  the  "Company's  Garden." 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  159 

There  we  waded  the  brook,  picked  the  flowers  and 
wild  strawberries,  and  sometimes  we  caught  the 
horses  that  belonged  to  the  Company,  and  climbing 
on  their  backs  we  rode  around  the  field,  for  it  was 
only  a  garden  in  name.  It  was  used  for  a  pasture 
field  for  the  Company's  cattle  and  horses.  Those 
were  days  to  be  remembered.  The  little  water  mill, 
as  it  was  called,  had  a  horse  car  track  laid  from 
it  down  to  the  west  dock  where  the  lumber  was  put 
on  the  car  and  the  horse  drew  it  to  the  dock  for 
shipment.  Then  what  fun  we  all  had  to  run  down 
the  track  and  get  the  ride  back  on  the  car. 

The  huckleberry  plains,  as  they  were  called, 
were  between  east  and  west  Bay.  There  on  Sat- 
urdays, when  there  was  no  school,  almost  every- 
body went  picking  and  took  their  lunches  with  them. 
Mrs.  and  Mr.  Garland,  one  of  our  neighbors,  moved 
to  Old  Mission  on  a  farm  and  new  people  took  their 
house. 

MY  FATHER  ADOPTING  A  LITTLE  BOY. 

The  same  year  we  went  to  Traverse  City  a  fani- 
ily  came  from  Chicago.  The  next  week  the  man's 
wife  died,  being  very  sick  when  she  came.  In  six 
weeks  after  the  little  baby  died,  leaving  three  more 
children.  Mr.  Churchill  was  sick  himself.  Mother 
brought  them  all  home.  A  neighbor,  Mrs.  Hillery, 
took  the  oldest  girl  of  nine  and  kept  her  all  winter. 
There  were  two  little  boys  left,  Frank  aged  seven, 
and  George  aged  five.  Father  and  mother  adopted 
little  Frank,  so  I  now  had  a  little  brother  for  com- 
pany.    Mr.  Churchill  left  the  next  June  for  Chi- 


160  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

cago,  taking  Amelia  and  George  with  him,  promis- 
ing to  write  us  often.  We  never  heard  from  him 
again,  and  always  felt  anxious  to  know  what  bo- 
came  of  the  two  children.  Little  Frank  was  very 
happy  with  us. 

(Mr.  Greilick  and  family  now  came.  They  built 
a  steam  mill  near  Mr.  Norris,  about  two  miles  west 
of  Traverse  City,  on  the  shore.  After  we  were  in 
Traverse  City  three  years  we  moved  to  Greilick's 
mill.  Frank  and  I  used  to  walk  around  to  the  city 
to  school  on  the  shore  road.  The  road  was  pleasant 
and  very  close  to  the  water  most  of  the  way.  There 
were  no  churches  in  Traverse  City  then,  but  Sunday 
was  kept  just  as  sacred  as  though  the  people  had 
churches  to  go  to.  Sometimes  religious  services 
were  held  by  a  minister  that  came  from  Chicago, 
going  around  among  the  settlers.  There  were  also 
no  saloons  in  Traverse  City.  Mr.  Hannah  kept  a 
large  number  of  men  to  do  his  logging  in  the  camps 
in  winter.  No  liquor  was  sold  nearer  than  Old  Mis- 
sion and  very  little  being  sold  there.  A  drunkejii 
man  was  seldom  ever  seen  in  Traverse  City  in 
those  days.  In  the  camps  there  was  always  many 
accidents  and  deaths  from  falling  trees  and  acci- 
dents in  the  mills.  Dr.  Goodale  being  the  only 
doctor  was  kept  very  busy  at  times,  my  mother  help- 
ing him  often.  The  life  at  Traverse  City  was  a  busy 
one  for  us  all.  We  were  very  happy  with  our 
neighbors,  often  going  to  Bower's  harbor  in  sum- 
mer time  in  our  own  boat  to  visit  friends. 

Rumors  many  times  reached  us  about  the  Mor- 
mons and  their  doings  on  Beaver  Island,  and  at 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  16! 

one  time  everybody  feared  they  were  coming  to 
Traverse  City  to  drive  the  Gentiles  away.  Mr. 
Hannah  set  watchmen  to  guard  the  place  by  night 
for  a  long  time,  and  the  fishermen  were  more  un- 
safe than  ever,  and  were  making  an  appeal  to  the 
Government  for  protection. 

THE  KILLING  OF  "kING  STRANG." 

I  must  now  hurry  over  many  things  that  hap- 
pened while  at  Traverse  City.  In  June  of  1856 
news  came  that  "King  Strang"  had  been  shot  by 
his  own  people.  It  was  a  long  time  before  we  could 
get  the  particulars. 

The  fishermen,  and  merchants  had  now  made  a 
strong  appeal  to  the  government  asking  for  pro- 
tection, and  this  time  Strang  could  not  make  his 
plea  strong  enough  to  prevent  the  coming  of  the 
U.  S.  steamer  Michigan  with  officers  to  make  an 
investigation  of  the  matter.  The  king  met  the 
steamer  at  Mackinac  Island,  hoping  to  gain  a  little 
more  time  to  prevent  any  arrests  of  his  people.  The 
U.  S.  steamer  proceeded  to  Beaver  Island,  landing 
at  the  village  dock  in  the  harbor.  King  Strang  took 
passage  on  her  back  to  the  island,  and  as  soon  as 
landing  he  immediately  went  to  his  home  not  far 
distant  from  the  dock.  He  was  soon  sent  for  by 
the  officers,  as  they  wished  to  consult  with  him  about 
the  affair.  He  started  for  the  steamer,  and  when 
about  half  way  on  the  dock  two  men  stepped  from 
behind  a  pile  of  cordwood  and  both  fired  their  re- 
volvers at  once,  both  bullets  taking  effect.  He  was 
shot  through  the  back  twice,  but  did  not  die  until 


162  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

eleven  days  after.  He  knew  his  last  hours  had 
come,  and  he  begged  to  be  taken  to  his  wife  Mary, 
his  true  wife.  The  women  he  had  with  him  now 
were  no  comfort  to  him.  Dr.  McCulloch  dressed 
the  wounds  and  told  him  he  feared  the  trip  would 
be  too  much  for  him,  that  he  might  die  on  the  way. 
He  said,  "No,  no,  take  me  home  to  Mary,  my  true 
wife.  I  cannot  die  here,  doctor.  I  want  to  die  with 
my  wife  and  children.  Take  me  to  Mary,  I  know 
she  will  forgive  me."  Dr.  McCulloch  had  him  put 
on  a  mattress,  carried  on  board  a  steamboat  and 
taken  to  his  wife's  home  in  Wisconsin.  The  death 
of  Strang  was  a  terrible  blow  to  most  of  his  people, 
but  a  relief  to  those  that  were  suffering  such  per- 
secutions from  him.  One  woman  at  Bower's  Har- 
bor expressed  great  joy  when  she  heard  it,  but  I 
could  not  understand  why  she  should  be  glad  of  any 
one's  death.  She  said,  *T  will  tell  you  just  a  little 
of  what  the  king  made  me  suffer." 

THE  STORY  MRS.   H TOLD  ME. 

I  was  born  and  raised  in  a  dear  little  nook  in 
York  state.  There  were  four  girls  in  our  family, 
my  oldest  sister  being  deaf  and  dumb.  After  a 
time  she  and  sister  next  to  her  married,  then  my- 
self and  youngest  sister  were  left  with  father  and 
mother.  A  young  man  came  to  our  village  to  teach 
the  village  school.     We  became  acquainted  and  in 

time  were  married.     Mr.  H built  us  a  nice 

little  home  and  we  settled  down  to  a  very  happy 
life.  Our  home  was  just  a  short  distance  from  my 
parents.     My  deaf  sister  was  married  to  a  deaf 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  163 

and  dumb  man.  He  had  a  high  temper  and  did  not 
treat  sister  NeUie  very  kindly.  After  awhile  Nellie 
came  home  to  live  with  our  parents,  bringing  her 
little  twin  babies  with  her.  We  all  helped  to  care 
for  them  and  then  John,  her  husband,  seemed  more 
kind.  Five  years  rolled  around,  when  one  day  three 
Mormon  elders  came  to  our  village,  going  around 
from  house  to  house  talking  their  doctrine,  calling 
themselves  Latter  Day  Saints.  They  visited  us. 
My  mother  being  in,  she  seemed  greatly  taken  with 
their  talk.     They  came  again  in  a  few  days.     Mr. 

H was  out  in  the  fields,  and  when  I  told  them 

they  said  they  would  go  out  and  find  him.  They 
did  so  and  remained  with  us  for  supper,  staying 
the  evening;  then  father  came  over  to  hear  them 
talk.  One  of  the  men  was  a  fluent  talker.  He  kept 
the  attention  of  all  when  speaking.  I  felt  a  great 
dread;  I  knew  not  why.  Then  they  held  services 
in  our  little  church  in  the  evenings,  which  contin- 
ued a  week.  Many  were  greatly  excited.  My  par- 
ents and  younger  sister,  Sarah,  my  husband  and  a 
number  of  our  neighbors.  The  men  left  us  promis- 
ing to  come  again  soon,  when  they  hoped  many 
would  join  their  religion.     I  could  see  as  the  days 

went  by  Mr.  H and  my  people,  with  others, 

were  ready  to  follow  these  men. 

I  said  all  I  could  to  discourage  them,  but  it 
was  of  no  use,  I  could  do  nothing.  Preparations 
were  made  to  leave.  Our  home  was  sold  at  a  sac- 
rifice and  father's  the  same.  At  the  time  set  the 
three  elders  came  again,  holding  more  meetings. 
Our  goods  were  packed ;  also  father's  and  mother's, 


164  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

and  as  Nellie  and  the  babies  could  not  be  left,  we 
took  them  with  us.  One  pleasant  day  in  August 
we  bade  farewell  to  our  dear  old  home  and  kind 
good  neighbors  I  had  known  my  lifetime.  And  with 
many  tears  of  sorrow  and  regret  on  my  part  we 
started  for  the  Promised  Land. 

After  a  tedious  trip  we  reached  "Beaver  Island." 
I  need  not  try  to  tell  how  disappointed  many  of  us 
were,  as  everything  was  so  different  from  what  it 
had  been  represented  to  us.  The  island  itself  was 
very  beautiful,  just  as  nature  had  made  it.  But  to 
us  that  had  come  from  a  settled  country  with  farms 
all  cultivated,  it  was  a  great  change.     I  saw  Mr. 

H was  very  low-spirited,  and  knowing  we  must 

make  the  best  of  it,  I  tried  to  cheer  him,  saying, 
"Now  we  will  soon  make  us  another  home,  and  if 
all  is  well  we  shall  soon  be  as  happy  as  we  were 
before.  But  you  know  I  can  never  enjoy  this  new 
doctrine."  We  also  found  when  reaching  the 
island  that  the  bright  talking  elder  was  "King 
Strange"  himself,  and  he  well  knew  I  had  no  sym- 
pathy or  belief  in  his  teachings.  However,  Strang 
gave  us  our  choice  of  a  building  spot  and  we  chose 
as  pleasant  a  place  as  possible,  with  father  and  mo- 
ther near  us,  just  a  short  distance  from  the  pretty 
little  Font  Lake.  We  tried  to  make  our  home  like 
the  one  we  had  left  behind.     I  went  to  work  with 

a  will  helping  Mr.  H to  build  the  new  home. 

That  first  winter  I  never  like  to  think  about,  the 
people  suffered  so  much,  but  were  always  patient, 
never  complaining.  The  next  spring  I  helped  to 
make  our  garden,  also  our  flower  garden,  putting 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  165 

in  the  seeds  I  had  brought  from  the  old  home.  That 
first  winter  we  endured  hunger  and  cold,  but  I  tried 
to  bear  it  without  complaint.  I  kept  the  best  for  my 
husband  to  eat  and  many  times  went  supperless  to 
bed,  fearing  there  would  not  be  enough  for  his 
breakfast,  as  he  had  to  be  out  chopping  wood  dur- 
ing the  day.  A  tenth  part  of  our  income  must  be 
given  to  the  King,  and  sometimes  there  was  little 
left,  as  there  was  always  extras  to  help  other  ex- 
penses. We  had  plenty  of  clothing  when  we  came, 
but  in  a  few  months  we  had  divided  most  of  it  with 
our  suffering  neighbors.  With  hard  work  and 
scanty  food,  and  great  anxiety  about  Nellie's  sick 
babies,  it  began  to  tell  on  my  health.  I  scarcely 
knew  a  care  in  the  old  home,  now  it  all  seemed  to 
fall  on  me.  When  spring  came  I  was  much  run 
down  in  health.  When  Mr.  H would  some- 
times blame  himself  I  would  cheer  him  up  by  tell- 
ing him,  "Never  mind,  we  have  each  other,  and  to- 
gether we  can  endure  almost  anything."  We  dared 
not  talk  much  to  others  that  we  felt  any  disappoint- 
ment. We  soon  found  the  King  exacted  perfect 
obedience  from  his  people.  I  knew  in  my  heart 
he  did  not  like  me  because  he  could  not  win  me  over 
to  his  belief. 

The  third  year  we  began  to  be  a  little  more  com- 
fortable, and  I  found  a  little  more  time  to  rest.  I 
had  been  so  busy  with  hard  work  trying  to  make  our 
home  bright  and  cheerful  I  had  not  noticed  what  was 
going  on  at  the  Tabernacle  meetings.  I  soon  began 
to  hear  rumors  how  the  king  was  preaching  poly- 
gamy.    I  felt  worried  and  I  could  see  that  other 


166  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

women  were  the  same,  though  we  dared  not  talk 
much  together  about  the  King's  affairs.  I  spoke  with 
my  husband  about  it  and  he  said,  ''Have  no  fears. 
Strang  can  never  make  me  bring  another  wife 
into  our  home."  Soon  a  friend  told  me  she  feared 
our  husbands  might  be  forced  to  obey  the  law  that 
the  King  had  made.  She  was  an  elder's  wife.  She 
then  told  me  my  husband  was  soon  to  be  ordained  as 
an  elder.  Again  I  spoke  to  my  husband  about  my 
fears.  He  took  me  in  his  arms,  saying,  "Have  no 
fears  Mary.  We  have  worked  and  suffered  together 
and  do  I  not  know  how  you  have  endured  hunger 
and  cold  and  gave  up  our  pleasant  home  to  come 
here  with  me  ?  I  will  never  desert  you  or  treat  you 
so  mean  as  to  bring  another  into  our  home."  The 
King  has  urged  me  to  do  so,  but  I  told  him  I  could 
not  obey  that  command.  In  a  few  days  several 
women  came  asking  me  to  join  them  in  voting  down 
Strang's  new  law.  I  said  to  them,  "No,  I  dare  not 
oppose  that  man.  I  feel  such  a  dreadful  fear  of 
him."     In  a  day  or  two  they  came  again,  saying, 

"Mrs.  H you  will  be  sorry  if  you  do  not  help 

us  try  to  vote  against  this  law.  We  believe  if  we 
women  band  ourselves  together,  and  now  that  we 
have  the  right  to  vote  on  this  subject  the  king 
may  think  better  of  it  when  he  sees  how  we  feel 
about  it,  and  don't  you  feel  afraid  your  husband 
may  bring  home  another  wife?"  I  said,  "Oh,  no,  I 
am  sure  this  cannot  be."  Then  they  left  me.  I  felt 
like  one  in  a  dream.  This  seemed  such  a  strange 
life  to  live.  I  did  so  long  to  once  more  feel  free 
like  I  used  to  in  the  other  days.     I  tried  hard  at 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  167 

times  to  understand  about  this  religion,  but  could 
not.  I  went  very  seldom  to  the  Tabernacle  to  hear 
the  preaching  so  I  knew  very  little  about  what  was 
said.  Father  and  mother  never  talked  about  the  old 
home  any  more.     To  them  it  was  as  if  it  never 

had   been.     Mr.    H ,   too,   never  talked   about 

it,  and  sometimes  I  wondered  had  I  dreamed  that  we 
ever  lived  in  our  eastern  home.  It  was  very  seldom 
I  ever  went  to  the  harbor,  as  my  husband  always 
brought  me  anything  I  wanted.  I  often  heard  about 
the  parties  given  there,  but  never  attended  any. 

One  pleasant  day  in  August,  the  eighth  anni-, 
versary  of  our  wedding,  my  husband  said  to  me,  "I 
shall  not  be  home  to  dinner  as  there  is  some  very  im- 
portant business  to  be  done  at  the  temple  among  the 
elders.  Have  tea  at  five  o'clock  and  I  shall  surely 
be  home  at  that  hour."  I  followed  him  to  the  door 
saying,  "Now  remember,  Mr.  H ,  this  is  our  an- 
niversary." He  kissed  me  saying,  "I  will  remember 
it  Mary  and  be  home  at  five."  I  sang  at  my  work 
as  I  had  not  done  before  for  months.  I  felt  so 
happy.  I  looked  about  the  home  and  it  seemed 
more  like  the  old  home  in  York  State;  my  flowers 
on  each  side  the  walk  to  the  gate,  in  front  the  moun- 
tain ash  was  lovely,  and  my  climbing  rose  bushes 
all  about,  which  gave  it  all  such  a  home-like  look. 
I  soon  started  for  the  woods  to  gather  wild  flowers, 
mosses  and  trailing  vines  to  trim  the  room  with  so 

it  would  look  nice  when  Mr.  H came  home.    I 

met  a  neighbor  and  asked  her  to  go  with  me.  She 
said,  '*No,  my  heart  is  too  sad.  I  fear  my  husband 
will  soon  bring  home  another  wife.     Are  you  not 


168  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

afraid  Mrs.  H ?"     I  answered,  "No  I  am  not 

afraid,  for  Mr  H would  tell  me  so  if  anything 

like  that  was  to  happen."  She  gave  me  such  a  sad 
look  with  her  eyes  full  of  tears.  Pulling  her  sun- 
bonnet  over  her  face  she  passed  on.  I  gathered  my 
flowers  and  vines,  returned  home  and  trimmed  my 
rooms.  I  put  the  vines  around  my  white  muslin 
window  curtains  with  the  pretty  lace  I  had  knit 
around  the  edge  and  the  white  bed  curtains  to 
match.  I  set  my  table  the  prettiest  I  knew  how,  with 
the  lovely  wild  flowers  in  the  center ;  I  then  ran  over 
to  mother,  telling  her  all  I  had  done.  I  saw  her  and 
sister  Sarah  exchange  looks,  both  saying  they'^vere 
glad  I  had  done  so.  I  played  with  the  children  a  few 
minutes,  then  ran  home  to  prepare  the  tea.  I  wore 
a  pink  muslin  dress,  the  only  one  I  had  left  from 
the  old  home,  and  a  pretty  white  apron,  the  last  I 
had  of  the  kind.  Somehow  the  day  had  been  lon^, 
but  I  felt  no  fear,  only  a  sadness  for  the  neighbor  I 
had  met.  Her  sorrowful  face  seemed  always  before 
me.  Remembering  my  husband  was  fond  of  warm 
biscuit,  I  made  some,  and  just  as  the  clock  struck 
five  I  heard  the  gate  click  and  our  faithful  dog 
Tiger  give  a  low  growl.  I  thought  strangers  must 
be  coming,  as  he  always  barked  with  delight  to  see 

his  master.    I  hurried  to  the  door.    Mr  H was 

coming  up  the  path  with  a  woman  holding  to  his 
arm.     Before  I  had  time  to  move  or  speak  they 

stepped  past  me  into  the  house.    Mr.  H said 

to  me,  "Mary  let  me  introduce  you  to  my  wife  to 
whom  I  have  just  been  sealed  in  spirit  this  day,  and 
I  hope  you  will  welcome  her  and  show  her  the  re- 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  169 

spect  which  is  her  due  from  you."  I  stood  still;  I 
could  not  move;  I  could  not  speak;  my  tongue 
would  not  move  in  my  mouth.  I  tried  to  say 
"husband,  husband,"  but  no  sound  came.  Oh  the 
agony  I  suffered!  I  could  only  follow  them  with 
my  eyes.  I  could  not  speak;  I  was  dumb.  The 
woman  gave  me  an  insolent  look,  saying,  "I  guess 
I  must  have  been  expected.  The  house  seems  to 
be  pretty  well  fixed  up,  but  she  doesn't  seem  to  be 
very  glad.  She'll  get  used  to  it  soon.  We'll  make 
her  know  that  I  am  the  mistress  here  now.    Won't 

we  Mr.  H ?"     He  smiled  and  nodded,  saying, 

"Come  let's  have  some  supper.  Come  Mary,  pour 
the  tea."  I  rushed  from  the  house,  running  to  my 
mother's  house.  She  met  me  calmly  at  the  door. 
"Oh  mother,  did  you  know  of  this  ?"  She  answered, 
"Yes  Mary,  we  all  knew  it  all  along  and  what  is  the 
use  of  making  any  fuss.  It's  God's  commands."  I 
ran  to  my  sister.  She  laughed,  saying  to  me,  "Well, 
you  must  be  a  fool.  You  ought  to  be  proud  to  know 
your  husband  is  made  an  apostle  of  the  Church  of 
Zion  and  already  blessed  with  a  spiritual  wife.  Now 
do  have  some  sense  and  don't  disgrace  us  all."  It 
just  began  to  dawn  upon  me  my  sister  was  just  the 
rankest  little  Mormon  alive.  I  then  went  to  my 
father,  thinking  I  would  receive  sympathy  from  him. 
He  said,  "Now  Mary  do  be  quiet.  Your  husband 
has  talked  this  over  with  us.  We  all  thought  best 
to  say  nothing  to  you  about  it  and  when  you  saw  it 
could  not  be  helped  you  would  just  settle  down. 
Your  mother  and  I  believe  in  this  doctrine,  and  we 
think  it  is  right."    I  stayed  to  hear  no  more.    Wild 


170  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

with  grief  I  ran  back  home.  Oh,  my  home  no  long- 
er, to  make  a  last  appeal  to  my  husband,  to  be  sure 
it  was  not  a  horrible  joke  just  to  try  me.  I  rushed 
in,  throwing  myself  down  at  his  feet,  crying,  "Tell 
me,  tell  me  this  is  not  true !  Tell  me  it  is  only  a  joke 
to  try  me."  I  very  soon  learned  it  was  only  too  true. 
They  both  threatened  me  with  a  straight  jacket, 
with  bread  and  water  diet  until  I  would  quietly 
submit.  I  got  upon  my  feet  and  staggered  from 
the  door  down  the  walk  to  the  road.  I  was  blind, 
my  limbs  refused  to  carry  me,  and  just  as  I  was  sink- 
ing down  my  dumb  sister  caught  me  in  her  arms. 
She  had  seen  by  my  face  I  was  in  great  trouble,  and 
she  saw  my  mother  did  not  sympathize  with  me. 
She  followed  me,  then  looking  toward  the  house  saw 
the  two  standing  together.  She  seemed  to  under- 
stand what  it  meant,  and  the  first  sound  I  ever 
heard  her  make  aloud,  she  gave  a  hoarse  cry  and 
partly  dragged  me  away  to  a  large  log  beside  the 
road  a  short  distance  from  the  house.  It  was  a 
large  tree  that  was  upturned  from  the  roots  and  shel- 
tered us  from  the  passers-by.  She  rubbed  my  hands, 
smoothed  my  hair,  pressing  kisses  upon  my  face,  and 
showing  me  she  sympathized  with  me  in  my  trouble. 
Many  times  she  showed  anger,  stamping  on  the 
ground  and  shaking  her  fist  toward  the  house.  The 
moon  had  risen,  and  every  time  I  opened  my  eyes  I 
could  not  bear  to  look  at  it.  I  wanted  it  all  dark. 
Dark  as  midnight.  Dark  as  the  world  now  seemed 
to  me.  After  awhile  the  neighbor  woman  I  had 
met  in  the  morning  came  to  me.  She  took  my 
hands  saying,  "Mrs.  H I  am  truly  sorry  for 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  171 

you.  I  wanted  to  tell  you  this  morning,  but  you 
seemed  so  happy  I  could  not  do  it.  I  saw  you  had 
entire  belief  in  your  husband's  word.  I  blame  him 
very  much  for  not  telling  you  his  intentions.  You 
might  have  felt  different  about  it.  I,  too,  have  just 
one  week  of  freedom,  then  my  husband  brings  in 
another  wife,  as  he,  too,  was  made  an  apostle  to- 
day. But  in  my  case  I  have  been  told  of  it  and  have 
the  privilege  of  choosing  among  the  young  women 
the  one  I  think  I  can  best  endure.  I  have  chosen  a 
friend  of  mine.  We  have  agreed  to  live  as  sisterly  as 
possible.  For  my  four  children's  sake  I  can  endure 
much  and  I  don't  see  how  I  can  help  myself;  but  I 
must  not  be  found  talking  with  you,  as  such  thingo 
are  forbidden."  In  a  still  lower  tone  she  said,  "I 
will  help  you  all  I  can  in  your  sorrow."  She  pressed 
a  kiss  on  my  face  and  was  gone.  I  sat  beside  my 
dumb  sister  thinking.  "Was  it  for  this  I  had  suf- 
fered cold  and  hunger,  leaving  our  comfortable 
home  in  New  York  State?  And  of  all  the  days  in 
the  year,  the  anniversary  of  our  wedding  day  he  had 
brought  home  the  most  homely  old  grass  widow  to 
be  found  on  the  island,  that  everybody  detested. 
The  king  said  afterwards  he  did  this  to  humble  my 
pride.  After  the  woman  left  us  Nellie  made  me  un- 
derstand she  would  go  to  mother's  and  get  me  a 
shawl.  The  dew  was  falling,  I  had  no  wrap,  my 
dress  was  muslin.  She  made  me  understand  I  was 
to  wait  here  until  she  came  back.  As  soon  as  she 
left  me  I  partly  crawled  and  dragged  myself  to 
little  Font  Lake,  which  was  about  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  distant.    I  laid  myself  down  on  the  moss  cov- 


172  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

ered  bank,  the  darkness  of  despair  rolled  over  me. 
My  husband  did  not  seem  the  same  to  me  now.  He 
seemed  only  a  great  monster  beast  that  I  wanted  to 
get  away  from.  I  thought  how  happy  our  home 
had  been  before  we  knew  anything  about  these 
strange  people,  and  the  dear  friends  I  had  left  to 
come  to  this  island.  Then  I  thought  of  baby's 
grave  far  away  in  the  old  home.  I  could  endure  it 
no  longer.  I  would  end  it  all  by  plunging  into  the 
little  lake  where  my  husband  and  I  had  strolled  so 
many  times  along  its  green  shores.  I  gave  the  leap 
that  would  end  my  earthly  suffering.  I  was  held 
back  by  the  dress  and  dear  old  Tiger  whined,  jump- 
ing up,  licking  my  face  and  hands  and  pulling  me 
back  from  the  water.  This  is  the  last  I  rerhember 
until  I  felt  the  warm  sunshine  upon  my  face  and 
old  dog  Tiger  was  lying  beside  me.  When  he  felt 
me  move  he  began  to  whine  and  lick  my  hands.  I 
had  no  recollection  of  time  any  more  as  Tiger  and  I 
wandered  about  through  the  woods.  I  ate  berries 
and  drank  from  the  lake.  All  the  food  I  had  was 
what  my  dog  brought  me.  Bread  crusts  and  meat 
bones.  At  last  my  dumb  sister  found  me  by  watch- 
ing Tiger  and  following  him.  I  knew  Nellie,  al- 
though I  was  in  a  very  weak  condition.  She  tried 
her  best  to  get  me  home  with  her,  but  I  would  not 

go- 
Just  about  the  time  all  this  happened  to  me  Nel- 
lie's deaf  and  dumb  husband  had  come  to  the  island 
on  a  steamboat.  He  had  not  come  with  the  rest  of 
us,  and  since  we  came  he  had  fallen  heir  to  consid- 
erable money  and  had  come  to  claim  Nellie  and  the 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  173 

children.  They  had  gone  to  housekeeping  in  a 
Httle  log  cabin  built  in  a  secluded  spot  on  the  edge 
of  the  heavy  woods.  The  little  home  was  not  yet 
finished.  Nellie  by  her  dumb  language  made  me 
understand  John  had  come  and  brought  letters 
from  the  old  home.  She  made  me  promise  I  would 
wait  until  she  came  back  with  John  and  the  letters. 
In  a  short  time  they  came.  When  he  saw  me  it  was 
terrible  to  look  upon  his  silent  rage.  He  foamed  at 
the  mouth  and  stuck  his  knife  into  the  earth,  but 
he  could  make  no  sound.  He  passed  his  hand  over 
my  hair.  It  was  white  as  snow.  It  was  auburn  in 
color  when  I  left  my  home.  I  did  rouse  up  a  little 
when  I  watched  the  tears  roll  down  his  cheeks.  Nel- 
lie put  a  dress  on  me  and  a  shawl.  My  bare  feet 
were  cut  and  swollen.  They  both  helped  me  to 
walk;  I  was  too  weak  to  walk  alone.  At  the  last 
John  carried  me  in  his  arms  to  his  home.  Nellie 
made  me  understand  that  I  had  been  over  three 
weeks  in  the  woods  and  by  the  king's  orders  no  one 
had  dared  openly  to  hunt  for  me  or  give  me  aid  in 
any  way,  claiming  that  was  the  way  to  subdue  an 
unruly  spirit.  It  was  told  me  that  he  who  once  had 
been  my  loved  husband  never  made  an  effort  to  find 
me,  not  even  my  own  father  and  mother.  Strang 
called  all  this  "Divine  Revelation.''  Oh  he  was  more 
cruel  than  the  grave  to  me. 

From  the  time  I  entered  John's  home  my  three 
dumb  friends  never  left  me.  It  was  a  hard  struggle 
for  life  with  me.  I  saw  no  one  and  none  ever  came 
to  see  us.  The  dear  children  kept  me  alive  with 
their  sweet,  childish  prattle.    At  that  time  Strang's 


174  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

rule  was  absolute.  None  would  have  dared  to  give 
me  aid.  Many  were  living  a  double  life,  seemingly 
good  Mormons,  but  only  waiting  for  an  opportun- 
ity to  get  away.  Strang  had  enemies  that  would 
strike  hard  when  the  time  came.  Not  long  after  I 
went  to  Nellie's  he  that  I  once  called  husband, 
watched  and  shot  my  faithful  dog  Tiger.  Then  I 
was  roused.  All  the  demons  in  me  came  to  the  sur- 
face. I  could  not  keep  quiet  any  longer.  I  got  well 
as  fast  as  possible  and  caused  the  King  and  Mr. 

H. all  the  trouble  I  could. 

The  people  were  divided,  not  all  were  pleased  with 
the  king  and  his  rule.  The  Gentiles  were  leaving  as 
fast  as  they  could,  as  there  was  no  safety  for  them 
or  their  property.  Strang  was  losing  much  con- 
trol of  his  people.  Then  he  concluded  to  extend 
his  territory  to  the  rnainland,  Charlevoix  and  Bower's 
Harbor  in  Grand  Traverse.  Some  had  gone  to  Fox 
Island.  About  this  time  Nellie's  husband  died  very 
sudden.  We  never  knew  the  cause  of  his  death. 
Nellie  with  her  children  went  with  me  to  Charle- 
voix, staying  there  all  winter,  then  went  to  Bower's 
Harbor.  That  winter  in  Charlevoix  we  almost 
starved  before  spring  came.  The  snow  was  very 
deep  and  ice  heavy  in  the  lake.  The  latter  part  of 
March  teams  came  over  from  Beaver  Island  on  the 
ice,  bringing  us  provisions.  They  also  went  to  Fox 
Island,  as  the  people  there  were  in  a  starving  con- 
dition. This  was  not  done  by  any  of  Strang's  or- 
ders. There  were  some  good  people  who  knew  our 
provisions  could  not  last  us  till  the  opening  of  navi- 
gation and  they  came  without  orders  and  saved  our 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  175 

lives  from  starvation.     "Now  do  you  wonder  I  am 
glad  of  Strang's  death  ?" 

The  story  was  a  sad  one,  but  true.  It  had  not 
been  all  pleasure  in  Strang's  kingdom.  The  doctrine 
they  believed  in  and  practiced  beyond  limit  stifled 
all  the  good  there  was  in  their  hearts.  There  was  no 
pity  felt  or  shown  to  those  who  went  contrary  to 
the  "Divine  Revelations"  which  their  king  was  sup- 
posed to  have.  Poor,  deluded  people,  how  different 
would  all  have  been  for  them  had  their  leader  used 
his  splendid  talent  for  good  and  taught  his  people 
the  way  of  life  and  truth. 

MY  BROTHER  LEWIS  VISITING  US  AND  HIS  STORY. 

Another  year  had  rolled  round.  The  June  days 
lingered  with  us  still  when  my  brother  Lewis  came 
from  Beaver  Island  to  visit  us.  We  had  not  seen 
him  since  he  left  us  at  Charlevoix  after  he  was 
wounded.  The  four  years  had  changed  him  from  a 
boy  to  a  man.  He  was  now  twenty-three  years  of 
age.  He  had  many  things  to  tell  us,  he  being  one 
of  the  men  chosen  the  year  before  to  help  preserve 
law  and  order  in  the  sending  away  of  the  Mormons 
after  the  king  was  shot.  He  went  to  the  island  to 
help  get  the  people  away  on  the  steamboats  that  were 
sent  to  carry  them  from  the  island. 

As  soon  as  Strang  was  shot  a  great  number  of 
the  people  left  at  once,  having  means  of  their  own 
to  help  themselves  with.  There  were  others  who 
had  small  means.  Their  homes  were  all  they  had. 
Strang  had  preached  and  taught  in  the  temple  that 
no  bullet  could  pierce  his  body,  and  strange  as  it 


176  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

may  seem,  there  were  a  large  part  of  his  people  who 
believed  it.  And  now  when  they  knew  their  king 
was  killed,  and  killed  by  the  bullet,  they  were  pros- 
trate with  sorrow ;  many  of  them  completely  in- 
capable of  thinking  or  doing  for  themselves.  My 
brother  said  it  was  a  sad  sight  to  look  upon  when 
they  came  to  the  harbor  to  go  on  board  the  boats. 
Their  sorrow  was  great.  They  seemed  like  a  peo- 
ple without  a  hope  in  the  world.  Many  wrung  their 
hands  and  wept  with  sad  moanings,  saying,  "Our 
king,  our  king  is  dead."  Women  fainted  and  were 
carried  on  board ;  children  were  crying.  Even  men 
were  sobbing,  and  two  or  three  attempted  to  throw 
themselves  from  the  dock  into  the  water  to  end 
their  misery.  All  were  allowed  to  take  their  house- 
hold goods,  yet  many  did  not  do  so.  Some  only 
took  their  clothing  and  bedding.  Poor  suffering 
people !  No  doubt  they  were  afraid  of  the  Gentiles, 
thinking  great  harm  would  be  done  to  them.  The 
feeling  had  become  so  bitter  between  them  that  in 
a  great  many  cases  justice  was  not  done  where  it 
should  have  been.  These  people  now  had  no  desir'= 
to  remain  on  the  island  now  that  their  king  was 
dead,  even  when  going  meant  leaving  their  comfort- 
able homes  and  all  they  had  in  the  wide  world. 
Those  that  worked  the  hardest  suffered  most.  The 
building  and  making  of  their  homes  and  improving 
their  farms  had  occupied  all  their  time  and  attention. 
They  loved  their  king  and  their  hearts  were  loyal 
to  him,  seeing  him  only  in  his  best  moods,  as  he  was 
always  kind  and  pleasant  to  them  in  his  visits  about 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  177 

the  island.    They  knew  nothing  about  the  workings 
of  the  inner  circle  or  private  temple  teachings. 

TEACHINGS   OF    MORMONISM 

Strang  knew  just  how  to  manage  these  hard- 
working, faithful  people,  and  the  reason  so  many 
were  beginning  to  think  favorably  of  polygamy  was 
because  they  were  taught  that  only  those  who  were 
faithful  could  be  sealed,  and  in  this  way  were 
counted  God's  elect.  But  there  were  a  large  num- 
ber of  women  who  came  to  the  island  that  had  been 
better  taught  than  to  believe  in  such  a  doctrine, 
which  was  the  reason  of  Strang's  failure  to  enforce 
the  law. 

The  two  men  who  shot  Strang  had  their  own 
wrongs  to  avenge.  Bedford  had  been  whipped,  he 
claimed  unjustly.  The  other  man,  Wentworth,  also 
had  much  bitterness  in  his  heart  of  treatment  he  had 
suffered  from  Strang.  So  the  two  had  planned  to 
shoot  him  at  their  first  opportunity.  Immediately 
after  they  shot  him  they  ran  to  the  U.  S.  steamer 
Michigan  and  gave  themselves  up  to  the  officers 
saying,  *We  have  shot  Strang  and  are  willing  to 
suffer  the  consequences."  They  were  taken  to 
Mackinac  Island  and  put  in  jail,  where  they  re- 
mained about  one  week.  One  dark  night  the  door 
was  unlocked  and  a  man  said  to  them,  "Ask  no  ques- 
tions, but  hurry  to  the  dock  and  go  on  board  the 
steamboat  that  is  there."  They  did  so.  Nothing 
was  ever  done  in  the  way  of  giving  these  men  a 
trial.     Public  sentiment  was  so  great  at  the  time 


178  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

against  the  Mormons  it  would  have  been  impossible 
to  find  a  jury  to  convict  them. 

FATHER  AND  MOTHER'S  VISIT  TO  BEAVER  ISLAND. 

My  brother  remained  with  us  three  weeks.  Fa- 
ther and  mother  thought  they  would  like  to  go  back 
to  the  island  with  him  to  visit  many  of  their  old- 
time  friends,  who  had  gone  back  to  the  island  after 
the  Mormons  left.  Mr.  Bower,  at  Bower's  Harbor, 
owned  a  small  vessel  and  was  anxious,  as  he  said, 
"To  go  and  see  how  the  island  looked  with  the 
Mormons  gone."  So,  with  several  more  friends 
from  Traverse  City  and  Old  Mission,  father,  mother 
and  Frank  went  to  Beaver  Island.  They  were  gone 
two  weeks.  I  remained  with  Mrs.  Hitchcock,  my 
former  teacher,  Miss  Helen  Goodale.  She  had  gone 
to  housekeeping  in  their  cozy  new  home  just  built 
on  First  street.  I  was  very  contented  while  they 
were  gone  never  thinking  of  such  a  thing  that  father 
would  move  away  from  Traverse  City.  When  they 
came  back  I  could  see  mother  was  greatly  pleased 
with  the  island.  There  she  had  met  so  many  of  her 
old  friends,  and  there  she  could  talk  her  own  Ian- 
gauge  again. 

A    MOTHER    LONGING   TO    SEE    HER    CHILDREN. 

I  could  see  when  mother  spoke  of  the  island  her 
heart  was  drawn  to  it.  I  said  to  her,  "Would  you 
leave  Traverse  City  and  go  to  Beaver  Island?"  It 
was  dark  and  I  could  not  see  her  face,  but  I  knew 
by  her  voice  there  were  tears  in  her  eyes  as  she  said, 
"Well,  I  don't  know  Elizabeth,  but  it  seemed  to 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  179 

me  while  I  was  there  I  was  nearer  to  my  boys, 
Charley  and  Anthony,  and  now  as  both  are  sailing 
they  might  sometime  come  into  the  harbor  in  a 
storm."  I  spoke  with  father  about  it.  He  said 
he  knew  mother  wanted  to  go  back,  but  he  did  not 
want  to  take  me  from  school.  Frank,  too,  said 
mother  was  anxious  to  go  to  the  island,  telling  him 
there  she  might  see  her  two  boys  who  were  sailing 
and  have  her  oldest  son  with  her  all  the  time.  There 
was  nothing  said  to  me  again  about  it.  I  had  forgot- 
ten all  about  my  talk  with  my  mother. 

One  morning  the  latter  part  of  August  Frank 
came  and  said  to  me,  "Elizabeth  you  must  come 
home.  We  are  going  to  move  to  Beaver  Island." 
At  first  I  said,  "No,  this  can't  be  so.  I  can't  leave 
my  school  which  will  soon  now  begin."  But  I  hur- 
ried home  to  find  it  was  true.  Packing  was  going 
on  and  all  preparations  were  made  to  move.  Mother 
was  happy.  She  was  going  to  be  near  her  boys  as 
she  so  many  times  said  when  her  neighbors  urged 
her  not  to  go.  My  heart  was  heavy.  How  could  I 
go  and  leave  all  my  dear  companions  and  my  dear 
school,  which  was  my  greatest  sorrow.  Mr.  Ther- 
ian  Bostwick  had  been  our  teacher  the  winter  before 
and  would  be  again  the  coming  winter.  He  was 
a  highly  educated  man  and  he  and  his  wife  wanted 
me  to  remain  with  them  all  winter  and  go  to  school. 
Father  said  I  might  if  I  wanted  to  and  then  I  could 
go  to  the  island  the  next  spring,  but  I  felt  I  could 
not  do  it.  My  winter  in  Ohio,  where  I  had  been 
homesick,  made  me  timid  about  being  separated 
from  my  parents.    Dearly  as  I  loved  my  young  com- 


180  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA:  AND 

panions  and  Traverse  City,  I  felt  I  was  needed  by 
my  parents.  Father's  health  was  failing,  that  I 
could  plainly  see,  and  Frank  not  old  enough  to  be 
much  help. 

LEAVING   TRAVERSE    CITY. 

With  many  tears  of  sorrow  to  think  of  leaving 
companions,  friends  and  Traverse  City,  the  place 
where  we  had  been  so  happy  in  the  four  years  of 
our  stay,  we  bade  adieu  to  our  kind  friends  and 
neighbors  and  once  more  were  sailing  away  over 
the  waters  to  Beaver  Island.  As  we  sailed  toward 
Northport  it  was  not  long  before  all  traces  of  the 
little  city  had  passed  from  our  view,  and  though  I 
could  not  see  it  with  my  eyes,  I  could  see  it  witTi 
my  heart,  as  I  said  to  one  of  the  gentlemen  on  board 
our  vessel.  There  were  three  summer  people  that 
had  been  at  the  island  since  early  June.  They  came 
over  to  Traverse  City  to  see  what  the  country  looked 
like  and  voted  their  preference  for  the  island  as  a 
summer  home. 

We  called  at  Northport,  stopping  to  see  several 
friends  and  wait  for  a  fresher  breeze.  There  we 
met  Mr.  Dame,  his  wife  and  daughter,  Mrs.  Page, 
and  son  Sebe,  as  we  always  called  him.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Smith  and  many  more  wished  us  "God  speed" 
on  the  way  across  the  water  to  our  'Island  home." 
We  left  Northport  just  as  the  sun  was  rising  over 
the  treetops.  The  little  town  looked  bright  and 
pleasant  in  the  morning  sunlight.  The  wind  was 
fair  and  sea  smooth.  We  soon  were  past  the  point, 
where  we  could  look  upon  Lake  Michigan.    North 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  181 

and  South  Fox  Islands  at  our  left,  Charlevoix  shore 
on  our  right,  and  soon  Cat  Head  was  left  far  behind, 
with  the  "Beavers"  growing  larger  every  minute. 

LANDING  AT  THE  ISLAND. 

The  day  was  fair ;  the  sky  was  blue ;  the  sea  gulls 
soared  about  our  little  ship,  uttering  their  shrill 
cries  in  search  of  food.  Soon  the  land  could  be 
plainly  seen  along  the  island,  and  as  we  neared  its 
shores  my  thoughts  went  back  to  a  few  years  ago, 
when  I  stood  on  the  deck  of  the  steamboat  Mich- 
igan watching  so  eagerly  to  catch  the  first  glimpse 
of  the  dear  old  island  that  was  my  home.  And  now 
as  we  passed  Cable's  dock  and  saw  the  houses,  and 
people  walking  about,  how  familiar  everything 
looked  to  me.  I  watched  to  see  our  old  home,  but 
father  said  to  me,  "It  is  burned  down."  I  looked 
at  the  place  where  it  had  stood  and  through  my 
tears  it  seemed  I  could  almost  see  my  little  brother 
Charley  and  myself  strolling  along  the  beach  as  we 
so  often  did  in  the  old  days,  chasing  the  plovers 
along  the  shore.  Then  again  I  could  see  ourselves 
hurrying  to  get  on  board  the  little  vessel  with  our 
goods  left  upon  the  beach  and  the  Mormon  men 
pointing  the  guns  at  us.  Father  seemed  to  know 
what  was  passing  in  my  mind  as  he  said,  "There 
are  only  friends  here  now." 

We  sailed  along  Big  Sand  Bay,  and  there  were 
many  little  buildings  left  where  the  fishermen  lived. 
The  Martin's  and  Sullivans  place,  with  Kilty's  and 
others,  all  looked  so  familiar,  then  past  Loaney's 
Point  with  the  big  rock,  and  the  homes  looked  just 


182  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

the  same.  In  a  short  time  our  little  ship  was  sailing 
into  the  harbor,  where  something  new  greeted  my 
eyes,  and  that  was  the  light  house  on  the  point, 
which  was  not  there  when  I  was  there  last.  Every- 
thing was  so  beautiful  and  fair  to  look  upon  I  could 
not  help  enjoying  the  lovely  trip  across  the  lake. 

HOTELS   AT   THE    HARBOR. 

My  brother  and  other  friends  met  us  and  took  us 
to  the  Mormon  printing  office,  which  had  been 
turned  into  a  hotel.  When  reaching  there  we  were 
met  by  ever  so  many  old  friends,  nearly  all  speak- 
ing in  French,  and  their  manner  so  hearty  we  could 
not  help  but  feel  their  welcome.  At  supper  time 
the  dining  room  was  filled  with  a  jolly  crowd  of 
fishermen  with  a  number  of  city  people  that  were 
staying  for  rest  and  recreation  in  the  summer 
months.  Several  of  them  had  been  with  the  fish- 
ermen on  the  lake  that  day  watching  the  process 
of  setting  and  lifting  the  nets,  and  many  were  the 
jokes  that  were  made  at  their  expense.  Next  door 
was  another  larger  hotel,  kept  by  Mr.  David  Lob- 
dell  and  his  wife.  Mrs.  Lobdell  came  from  Fre- 
mont, Ohio.  This  hotel  had  been  full  of  summer 
boarders,  but  many  had  gone  to  their  city  homes. 
This  house  had  been  used  by  the  Mormons  as  a 
dance  hall  and  theater. 

The  summer  at  the  island  had  been  a  very  gay 
one.  About  twenty  families  had  summered  there, 
living  in  the  deserted  homes  of  the  Mormons. 
There  were  also  two  or  three  smaller  boarding 
houses  that  were  all  filled  and  doing  a  good  busi- 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  183 

ness.  Fish  were  plenty,  bringing  a  good  price. 
Everybody  had  money  and  used  it  freely.  The  fish- 
ermen were  a  good,  kind,  jolly  people  as  a  class, 
borrowing  no  troubles  for  the  morrow.  In  those 
days  there  were  no  tugs  used  in  the  fishing  busi- 
ness, neither  were  there  pound-nets  used.  There 
were  many  seines  used.  The  fish  caught  were  usu- 
ally very  large  in  size,  both  whitefish  and  trout.  The 
merchants  did  a  prosperous  business.  In  winter  the 
cord  wood  was  chopped  and  brought  to  the  docks 
for  the  steamers'  fuel  during  the  summer  season. 

THE  FAREWELL  RECEPTION  TO  FRIENDS. 

The  evening  before  we  reached  there  a  large 
party  had  been  given  as  a  farewell  to  the  many 
summer  friends  that  were  going  to  their  city  homes. 
The  two  young  Mormon  sisters  that  Strang  had 
chosen  as  Spiritual  wives  were  also  going  away. 
They  were  to  have  a  great  festival,  or  feast,  in  July 
to  celebrate  the  sealing  ceremony  of  the  King's 
marriage  with  the  two  young  sisters,  but  death 
had  come  and  taken  the  King  before  the  time  of  the 
ceremony.  These  two  sisters  were  very  beautiful 
girls  who  were  orphans  and  had  a  home  with  their 
uncle,  he  being  a  staunch  Mormon,  but  a  very  good 
man.  The  summer  people  had  been  very  interested 
in  these  two  young  sisters.  Their  parents  had  both 
died  while  they  were  very  young.  Being  raised  in 
the  Mormon  faith  they  thought  it  was  right  and 
considered  it  a  great  honor  to  have  been  chosen  by 
the  prophet  and  King.  I  was  told  by  one  who 
knew  them  intimately  that  they  expressed  great  joy 


184  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

that  they  had  escaped  such  a  fate.  Since  the 
shooting  of  Strang  they,  as  well  as  many  others, 
liafl  lost  their  faith  in  his  religion. 

RETURN  OF  THE  MERCHANTS. 

We  were  soon  settled  in  a  comfortable  house 
left  by  the  Mormons.  The  houses  as  a  rule  were 
placed  close  together  in  groups  of  three.  Their 
yards  were  nicely  laid  out  and  filled  with  handsome 
flowers,  which  were  now  in  bloom.  When  we 
reached  there  houses  were  plenty  and  we  could  take 
our  choice.  Mr.  C.  R.  Wright  and  family  had  re- 
turned to  the  island,  starting  a  large  cooper  shop 
and  employing  a  number  of  workmen.  Mr.  James 
Moore  and  family,  T.  D.  Smith  and  family,  and 
many  others  who  had  left  in  1852,  had  now  returned. 
Mr.  James  Cable  had  taken  possession  of  his  prop- 
erty at  the  head  of  the  island  and  was  again  in  busi- 
ness. Mr.  Peter  McKinley  had  returned  and  was 
in  business  across  the  harbor  on  the  opposite  side 
from  the  point  at  what  was  called  the  "Gregg  prop- 
erty." Mr.  McKinley  had  been  elected  to  the  State 
Legislature  at  Lansing,  so  did  not  return  to  the 
island  until  late  in  the  fall.  His  brother  Morrison 
taking  charge  of  the  business.  Peter  McKinley 
was  first  cousin  to  William  McKinley,  our  late 
President  of  the  United  States. 

There  was  a  very  comfortable  school  house,  built 
by  the  Mormons.  It  was  a  frame  building  contain- 
ing a  large  library  of  fine  books  which  belonged  to 
the  King.  There  were  books  of  Greek  and  Latin, 
with  histories  and  law  books.  Our  school  was  taught 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  185 

that  winter  by  Mr.  Isaac  Wright  from  Illinois.  The 
Mormons  had  always  had  good  schools,  as  the  king 
wanted  to  have  his  subjects  educated,  but  would  not 
allow  them  to  go  outside  to  be  educated.  The 
teachers  being  their  own  people. 

About  a  mile  back  from  the  shore  on  high,  level 
land  was  Mr.  Campbell's  farm.  This  was  a  beauti- 
ful location  on  the  south  side  of  the  harbor.  This 
family  had  remained  when  the  Mormons  had  left. 
They  were  glad  to  be  left  in  peace  and  had  become 
tired  of  Strang's  rule.  They  were  my  neighbors 
for  many  years  and  proved  themselves  kind  and 
true  friends. 

Mrs.  Campbell  had  been  one  of  Strang's  great- 
est enemies  in  preventing  his  enforcing  the  laws  of 
polygamy.  She  carried  her  family  Bible  to  the 
temple,  and  there  with  many  other  women  read 
God's  laws  from  its  pages  faster  than  the  king 
could  explain  it  in  his  way.  She  told  me  all  this 
herself,  and  said  many  times  when  she  started  for 
the  temple  it  was  with  fear  and  trembling,  not 
knowing  sometimes  whether  she  would  ever  return 
to  her  home. 

She  knew  she  was  defying  the  King,  and  no  one 
at  the  time  could  tell  what  the  outcome  might  be, 
adding,  "But  we  knew  we  were  right  and  were  fight- 
ing for  our  homes.  We  kept  agitating  and  gained 
time.  Strang  began  to  find  his  power  was  not  ab- 
solute. We  women  banded  ourselves  together  and 
fought  him  with  words  so  strong  he  had  to  stop  to 
consider  where  he  stood.  Before  it  was  settled  the 
king  was  shot." 


186  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

DR.  Mcculloch's  residence. 

At  the  harbor  side,  or  St.  James,  was  quite  a 
village.  Two  docks,  two  stores,  with  the  two  hotels 
and  two  or  three  boarding  houses;  further  around 
the  bay  was  the  old  Mormon  boarding  house  build- 
ing that  had  been  run  by  the  Mormon  with  four 
wives.  It  was  built  of  logs  smooth  on  both  sides. 
Mr.  C.  R.  Wright  converted  that  building  into  a 
large  cooper  shop.  There  were  about  twenty  houses 
back  along  the  hill,  reaching  along  past  the  temple 
and  Strang's  cottage,  with  several  more  in  the  other 
direction  around  the  bay  toward  the  point.  Just 
back  a  short  distance  from  the  street  just  opposite 
the  dock  stood  what  was  called  "Dr.  McCull- 
och's  residence."  A  very  pretty  gothic  story  and 
a  half  cottage.  It  was  painted  white  with  a 
white  picket  fence  around  it.  Dr.  McCull- 
och  was  the  Mormon  doctor  from  Baltimore. 
A  fine  physician.  Coming  to  the  island  just 
to  rest,  he  gained  his  health  and  liked  the  cli- 
mate so  well  he  settled  there.  His  wife  was  a 
highly  cultured  lady.  While  not  wholly  Mormons, 
they  were  just  enough  so  as  to  live  peaceably  with 
the  King.  Mrs.  McCulloch  was  the  leader  in  much  of 
their  amusements,  and  she  often  ridiculed  Strang 
about  his  way  of  living  and  insisting  upon  the 
women  wearing  short  hair  and  bloomer  costumes. 
She  always  wore  her  dresses  long  when  going  on 
her  annual  trips  home  to  Baltimore.  But  when  on 
the  island  she  wore  the  regulation  short  dress,  as 
she  said,  ''J^^t  for  fun." 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  187 

The  year  we  returned,  in  1857,  ^  M^-  Burke,  a 
merchant  from  Buffalo,  N.  Y,,  had  been  that  sum- 
mer at  the  island  with  a  stock  of  goods,  leaving  in 
the  fall,  selling  his  goods  to  Mr.  George  R.  Peck- 
ham,  of  Toledo,  Ohio,  who  carried  on  the  business 
a  few  years  alone,  after  which  C.  R.  Wright  went 
partner  with  him;  then  for  a  number  of  years  the 
firm  of  Peckham  &  Wright  was  known.  Later 
George  Peckham  sold  his  interest  to  Mr.  Wright, 
and  then  the  firm  was  known  as  C.  R.  Wright  & 
Son.  The  business  grew,  as  thousands  of  barrels 
of  fish  were  caught  and  shipped  every  season.  It 
soon  became  equal  to  the  fish  market  at  Mackinac 
Island,  it  being  nearer  to  most  of  the  fishing 
grounds.  In  a  few  years  the  property  at  the  point 
was  bought  by  the  firm  of  Dormer  &  Allen,  of  Buf- 
falo, N.  Y.  A  large  store  and  warehouse  was 
built,  with  the  dock  improved,  and  the  business  was 
carried  on  at  the  point  with  success  by  that  firm  for 
a  number  of  years. 

THE    king's    highway. 

At  Cable's  dock  Mr.  John  Corlette,  of  Ohio,  had 
settled,  and  after  a  fair  success  in  business 
of  several  years  he  moved  to  Cheboygan,  Mich., 
with  his  son-in-law,  Mr.  Andrew  Trombley. 
Captain  Appleby,  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  took  Mr. 
Loaney's  place  as  keeper  of  the  light-house 
at  the  head  of  the  island,  where  his  nephew, 
Frank  Blakeslee,  assisted.  After  a  few  years  Mr. 
Harrison  Miller  took  Capt.  Appleby's  place,  re- 
maining eleven  years    or    more,    assisted    by    his 


188  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA:  AND 

nephew,  Edwin  Bedford.  Mr.  William  Duclon  suc- 
ceeded Miller,  and  after  about  eight  years  was  trans- 
ferred to  Eagle  Bluff  light-house,  where  he  still 
continues  at  this  writing.  Mr.  Harrison  Miller, 
after  leaving  the  light-house,  was  appointed  keeper 
of  the  life  saving  station  at  Beaver  Harbor,  and  was 
transferred  to  Point  Betsey  life-saving  station.  Mr. 
Owen  Gallagher  succeeded  him  at  the  Beaver  Island 
station. 

The  Mormons  laid  the  roads  out  very  conven- 
ient for  the  settlers  that  were  in  the  interior  of  the 
island.  One  road  went  direct  from  the  harbor 
across  to  Bonnar's  landing,  a  distance  of  five  miles. 
This  road  passed  through  many  fine  farms,  and 
there  were  roads  branching  from  this  one  leading 
to  all  parts  of  the  island,  with  the  king's  highway 
leading  direct  through  from  the  harbor  to  the  head 
of  the  island.  The  king's  highway  was  very  beau- 
tiful with  its  wild  scenery.  Many  of  the  roads  were 
built  with  small  logs  cut  the  width  of  the  road  and 
laid  down  firmly  close  together.  These  were  called 
cause-ways  or  corduroy.  This  kind  was  built  where 
it  was  swampy  and  low  land  to  go  through.  These 
cause-ways  were  very  beautiful  in  summer  time 
with  their  branches  arching  overhead  in  many 
places,  with  beautiful  evergreens  mixed  in  with 
willows,  green  mosses  and  flowers. 

HORSEBACK  RIDING  ABOUT  THE  ISLAND. 

I  soon  became  acquainted  with  Mr.  Campbell's 
daughter.  She  was  a  bright,  jolly  girl  just  two 
years  older  than  I.    They  had  horses,  so  Mary  and  I 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  189 

used  to  ride  horseback  almost  every  day  until  she 
had  taken  me  almost  all  over  the  island.  Oh,  those 
delightful  rides!  There  were  roads  and  bridle 
paths  going  in  every  direction.  I  would  soon  have 
been  lost,  but  Mary  knew  them  all,  and  when  she 
had  any  doubts  about  the  way  out  from  the  deep 
woods  those  two  horses  never  failed  to  take  us 
right.  Mary  was  a  pleasant  companion.  She  knew 
the  names  of  all  the  people  who  had  lived  on  those 
now  deserted  farms.  Every  house  we  came  to  was 
vacant.  The  little  gates  were  broken  off  their 
hinges  in  several  places,  and  in  some  of  the  houses 
the  curtains  were  still  at  the  windows.  Weeds 
were  growing  all  about  the  doors,  flowers  were  still 
in  bloom,  with  weeds  mixed  in  among  them,  barns 
were  empty  with  some  of  their  doors  open.  There 
were  broods  of  chickens  around  many  of  the  barns, 
and  one  yard  we  rode  into  some  pretty  little  kittens 
ran  scampering  under  the  barn.  Mary  was  talking 
all  the  time,  saying,  "Such  a  man  lived  here;  they 
were  very  good  people.  Just  see  how  pretty  the 
flowers  grow  and  the  lovely  currant  bushes.  Ma 
and  I  came  and  picked  the  most  of  them  this  season, 

as  Mrs.  M told  us  to.    Oh  we  did  feel  so  sorry 

for  her  to  have  to  leave  her  home.  Now  these  peo- 
ple were  awfully  queer.  They  never  talked  to  any- 
body;  and  just  see  the  lovely  hay  in  this  field  all 
going  to  waste."  We  rode  along  where  there  were 
several  houses  built  close  together  with  a  large  barn, 
and  the  flowers  were  beautiful.  Roses  climbing 
about  the  windows.  "Yes,  this  is  where  one  of  the 
apostles  lived.    We  didn't  like  him  a  bit.    Ma  says 


190  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

he  made  Strang  do  lots  of  things  he  didn't  want  to 
and  wanted  to  put  father  high  in  office  and  have  him 
sealed  to  some  more  wives,  but  Ma  would  not  allow 
it.  She  went  to  the  temple  and  did  all  she  could  do 
to  stop  it,  and  I  believe  Strang  was  afraid  the  women 
would  mob  him.  At  any  rate  he  let  us  alone.  We 
liked  that  apostle's  wife.  She  was  a  kind  little 
woman."  I  enjoyed  the  riding,  but  it  made  me  sad 
to  see  all  those  deserted  homes.  I  could  see  how 
much  hard  work  had  been  done  to  make  everything 
so  comfortable. 

THE  HOME  WHERE  THE  WIFE  HAD  BEEN  DRIVEN  OUT. 

One  day,  on  our  last  ride,  we  rode  directly  across 
to  Bonnar's  landing.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Bonnar 
had  bought  and  settled  on  a  very  fertile  piece  of 
land.  At  that  time  there  was  not  much  cleared; 
later  they  had  a  beautiful  home.  Mr.  Ray  Peckham 
and  wife  also  had  bought  a  good  farm  near  Mr. 
Bonnar's.  This  day  Mary  and  I  rode  around  all  the 
homes  out  on  that  road,  then  came  down  and  took 
the  road  leading  out  to  Long  Lake,  near  Font  Lake. 
Our  horses  were  walking,  Mary  was  pointing  out 
and  telling  me  about  the  people  that  lived  on  this 
road.  We  soon  came  to  a  home  that  it  seemea  to 
me  I  had  seen  before.     I  said,  "Mary,  who  lived 

here?"     "Oh,  this  is  where  Mr.  H lived;  the 

man  who  treated  his  wife  so  badly  because  she  did 
not  like  it  when  he  brought  home  another  wife." 
We  tied  our  horses  and  walked  about  the  yard.  Yes, 
here  was  the  home.  There  were  the  rose  bushes 
about  the  windows,  the  flowers  down  the  walk,  a 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  191 

mountain  ash  with  its  red  berries,  the  vegetable 
garden  at  the  back  of  the  house  with  the  currant 
and  gooseberry  bushes.  I  looked  a  long  time,  see- 
ing it  all  in  my  mind  as  the  woman  had  told  me  her 
story.  I  could  see  the  man  and  woman  standing 
together  in  the  door  while  the  wife  was  hurrying 
away  to  her  mother  for  sympathy.  I  could  not  keep 
the  tears  back.  Mary  saw  I  felt  sad  and  said,  "Why 
do  you  cry?  Are  you  lonesome  for  the  friends  you 
have  left  in  your  old  home?"  I  said,  "No,  I  am  cry- 
ing because  I  have  heard  the  story  about  the  woman. 
She  told  it  to  me  herself."  "Oh  yes,  I  remember 
hearing  ma  tell  me  about  this  woman.  She  says  she 
thinks  it  was  the  most  cruel  joke  Strang  ever  plan- 
ned." (Strang  always  called  such  things  jokes.) 
Over  there  is  where  her  father  and  mother  lived 
and  way  over  there  (pointing  to  the  woods)  is 
where  that  deaf  and  dumb  sister  of  her's  lived.  We 
walked  over  to  the  woods.  The  little  log  cabin 
stood  almost  hid  by  the  trees  and  bushes.  It  had  a 
more  deserted  look  than  the  rest  of  the  houses. 
Bushes  and  weeds  were  right  up  to  the  door.  Mary 
said  no  one  had  ever  lived  in  it  since  the  deaf  and 
dumb  man  had  died  and  his  wife  and  children  had 
gone  away.  We  hurried  away.  It  gave  us  such  a 
gloomy  feeling.  We  were  glad  to  come  back  where 
the  sun  was  shining. 

tiger's  grave. 

Mary  said,  "Come,  I  will  show  you  old  Tiger's 
grave,  where  the  woman  and  her  deaf  and  dumb  sis- 
ter buried  him  after  Mr.  H shot  him  for  his 


192  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

faithfulness  to  his  mistress.  We  stood  beside  the 
spot  where  the  wronged  wife  had  buried  her  faith- 
ful dog.  She  had  planted  a  rose  bush  beside  it. 
There  were  many  beautiful  roses  on  the  bush  that 
season.  Tiger's  grave  was  near  the  shore  of  little 
Font  Lake  at  the  place  where  he  pulled  his  mistress 
from  a  watery  grave.  We  then  rode  down  through 
Enoch,  and  there  Mary  pointed  to  a  grave  with  a 
beautiful  lilac  bush  at  its  head  with  a  white  picket 
fence  about  it.  That  is  where  the  mother  of  four 
young  girls  is  buried.  It  almost  broke  their  hearts 
to  go  away  and  leave  their  mother's  grave.  They 
had  asked  Mary  to  see  to  it  sometimes,  which  she 
had  promised  to  do. 

THE  JOHNSON   HOUSE. 

Mary  said,  "Now  just  one  more  place  to  go  and 
see  before  we  go  home."  We  rode  around  pretty 
Font  Lake,  soon  coming  to  a  large  two  story  and 
a  half  house,  built  very  near  the  sloping  shore  of  the 
lake.  We  tied  our  horses,  walking  down  the  path 
to  the  water.  There  were  seats  in  among  the  small 
cedars,  which  grew  thickly  about.  The  house  was 
still  in  good  repair.  "This  is  the  Johnson  House. 
The  people  were  rich.  He  was  a  merchant  living 
in  Buffalo.  The  King  and  "Douglas'-'  went  to  their 
home  and  soon  persuaded  them  to  sell  and  come 
here.  They  built  this  house,  and  out  there  you  can 
see  the  large  barn.  They  brought  their  horses  and 
carriages.  They  brought  their  dead  daughter's  body 
and  buried  it  out  there  on  that  little  knoll."  I  looked 
and  saw  the  white  railing  about  the  lonely  grave 


) 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  193 

with  rose  bushes  at  the  head.  We  wenr  up  stairs 
and  saw  the  large  dancing  hall  with  its  waxed  floors 
which  were  still  glossy.  She  told  me  how  beauti- 
fully it  had  been  furnished.  The  parlors  and  all 
the  rooms  were  large.  Rose  bushes  grew  near  the 
windows,  flower  gardens  with  blooming  flowers. 
The  setting  sun  was  shining  through  the  windows ; 
the  house  was  clean  and  it  seemed  the  occupants  had 
just  cleaned  house  and  not  yet  arranged  the  furni- 
ture. It  had  such  a  bright,  cheerful  look.  Some 
city  visitors  had  lived  there  all  summer.  Yes,  these 
people  were  another  disappointed  family.  They  had 
a  very  handsome  daughter  highly  educated  and  a 
fine  musician.  Strang  and  "Douglass"  used  to  go 
there  to  the  parties  given,  the  family  not  knowing  at 
first  that  "Charles  Douglas"  was  a  woman,  that  be- 
ing another  one  of  the  king's  jokes.  Mr.  Wentworth 
married  this  daughter  and  the  king's  visits  became 
disagreeable  to  the  young  wife.  This  caused  hard 
feelings  and  may  have  been  one  of  the  reasons  for 
Wentworth's  shooting  the  king.  We  hurried  home 
as  the  sun  was  sinking  in  the  west,  and  I  wanted  to 
get  away  from  all  these  empty  houses,  for  every  one 
seemed  like  an  open  grave.  I  staid  with  Mary  all 
night  and  her  mother  told  me  many  things  about 
their  life  on  the  island. 

MRS.  Campbell's  story. 

"We  had  a  comfortable  home  in  New  York  State 
near  to  where  many  more  of  our  neighbors  who 
came  with  us  lived.  Strang  himself,  with  two  more 
apostles,     were    traveling    through    the    country 


194  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA ;  AND 

preaching  and  telling  about  the  rich  beautiful  coun- 
try they  had  found.  We  went  to  hear  them,  and, 
like  many  others,  were  greatly  pleased.  Strang  did 
most  of  the  talking  himself.  He  was  a  brilliant 
talker.  He  had  such  a  bright,  cheerful  manner  we 
were  won  from  the  first.  We  sold  our  home,  the 
other  neighbors  doing  the  same,  and  in  a  short  time 
started  for  the  ''Promised  Land."  When  we  reached 
here  we  found  nothing  as  it  had  been  represented  to 
us.  The  island  was  in  its  wild  natural  state.  A  few 
had  cleared  some  land  and  were  struggling  along 
the  best  they  could.  Our  first  winter  was  a  hard 
one,  and  I  cannot  bear  to  think  how  sadly  we  were 
disapointed.  When  I  asked  Strang  why  we  had 
not  been  told  the  truth  he  always  turned  it  off  in 
some  way,  talking  so  encouragingly  and  always 
making  us  see  the  brightest  side.  Life  became  busy, 
as  we  had  a  large  family  dependent  upon  us.  We 
had  some  money  saved  and  bought  this  land  and 
built  this  house,  which  you  see  is  large  and  com- 
fortable. Our  children  were  sent  to  school  and  we 
were  beginning  to  feel  quite  contented.  I  often  went 
to  hear  Strang  preach,  but  I  did  not  feel  satisfied, 
his  doctrine  did  not  sound  the  same  as  he  told  it  to 
us  before  we  left  our  old  home,  and  he  was  having 
so  many  "New  Revelations"  that  I  soon  lost  what 
little  belief  I  had  ever  had  in  the  doctrine.  Some- 
how it  was  different  from  what  my  old  family 
Bible  taught  me,  but  I  said  very  little  about  it  at 
first,  although  a  few  of  us  women  used  to  say 
Strang  had  too  many  revelations  to  be  true.  He 
never  spoke  anything  to  me  about  them,  but  often 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  195 

spoke  to  other  women  he  called  upon.  Very  soon 
he  preached  in  the  temple  that  he  had  a  new  revela- 
tion that  all  the  apostles  and  officers  in  the  Church 
of  Zion  must  take  more  wives,  and  had  already 
taken  more  himself.  This  preaching  stirred  us 
women  up,  as  he  had  preached  before  against  poly- 
gamy, and  about  this  time  I  found  the  king  was 
urging  my  husband  to  accept  a  high  office  in  the 
church.  I  called  upon  the  king,  asking  if  this  was 
all  true  that  we  heard.  He  answered  in  a  very  de- 
cided tone,  ''Yes,  it  is  true,  and  the  law  will  be  en- 
forced if  you  do  not  quietly  submit."  I  told  him  I 
would  never  submit  or  consent  to  another  woman 
coming  into  my  house  while  I  lived.  He  said,  "You 
are  not  yet  high  enough  in  the  faith  to  understand 
the  true  meaning  of  being  sealed  to  spiritual  wives." 
Well,  I  tell  you  I  was  mad.  I  went  home,  and  in  a 
few  days  I  joined  with  several  other  women.  We 
went  to  the  temple,  I  carrying  my  family  Bible,  and 
there  we  faced  the  King.  We  women  talked  faster 
than  he  could.  He  tried  to  have  us  stopped  but 
could  not.  You  know  how  it  all  ended ;  I  was  sorry 
to  see  him  killed,  yet  I  knew  something  terrible 
would  happen  to  him  and  I  told  him  so  when  I 
talked  that  day.  I  said  such  things  cannot  go  on 
any  longer.  All  these  homes  would  not  be  empty 
had  Strang  lived  according  to  the  doctrine  he 
preached  to  us  before  we  sold  our  old  homes  and 
came  here;  we  would  have  been  a  happy,  contented 
people,  but  his  teachings  were  all  false  from  begin- 
ning to  end,  and  he  has  suffered  the  same  fate  of 
Joseph  Smith,  whose  example  he  followed.    I  know 


1%  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

there  were  bad  men  influencing  him  to  do  all  this. 
It  might  have  been  for  the  purpose  of  getting  rid 
of  him  so  they  themselves  could  take  his  place. 
It  is  all  ended  and  I  am  glad  I  never  knew  anything 
more  about  Mormonism  than  I  have  since  I  came 
here." 

BURNING  OF  THE  MORMON  TEMPLE. 

At  the  time  the  Mormons  left  the  island  the 
temple  was  left  standing.  The  excitement  was  so 
great  and  the  Gentiles  feared  the  Mormons  might 
return  with  another  leader  in  Strang's  place,  so 
they  thought  best  to  burn  the  temple.  It  was  of 
the  exact  pattern  as  the  one  at  Kirtland,  Ohio,  as 
Strang  had  built  it  after  the  same  plans.  The 
building  was  all  up  and  inclosed,  but  not  yet  fin- 
ished. The  large  room  used  for  preaching  was 
also  used  for  the  council  room. 

ROCKY  MOUNTAIN  OR  INDIAN  POINT. 

In  my  rides  about  the  island  there  were 
many  narrow  paths  in  every  direction  and  the 
young  growth  of  trees  made  it  almost  impossible  to 
pass  through.  We  would  come  upon  many  little  log 
cabins  in  the  dense  woods  with  no  clearing  except  a 
small  yard  and  I  wondered  why  this  was  so.  I  was 
told  these  were  some  of  the  places  where  they  used 
to  secrete  stolen  goods,  it  being  such  an  out-of-the- 
way  place  and  in  the  dense  woods  no  one  would  ex- 
pect to  find  a  house.  One  of  the  band  of  "Forty 
Thieves"  who  lived  with  us  a  few  months  after  I 
was  married  and  keeping  house,  told  us  there  were 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  197 

many  such  places  about  that  locality  of  Rocky 
Mountain,  or  Indian  Point  as  it  has  always  been 
called  late  years,  where  goods  could  be  hid  and 
they  could  hide  themselves  so  as  not  to  be  found 
by  any  stranger.  The  very  mention  of  the  band  of 
' 'Forty  Thieves"  struck  terror  to  people's  hearts  in 
the  days  of  Mormon  rule.  There  were  rumors  of 
many  dark  deeds  done  by  that  band  of  highwaymen, 
or  pirates  as  they  were  sometimes  called.  It  was 
common  talk  among  Gentiles,  and  told  us  by  some 
of  their  own  people  who  were  not  very  loyal  to  the 
king,  that  vessels  were  plundered  and  the  crews 
never  heard  from.  Of  course  this  none  of  us  knew 
to  be  true,  yet  a  great  many  things  happened  to  lead 
us  to  think  that  it  might  be  a  possibility.  When  my 
people  came  back  to  the  island  there  was  still  a  great 
quantity  of  goods  left  stored  away  in  some  houses 
up  in  that  part  called  "Enoch,"  about  one  mile  dis- 
tant from  the  harbor.  There  were  several  boxes  of 
shoes,  some  crates  of  dishes  partly  full,  screen  cup- 
boards, furniture,  chairs  and  tables.  One  small 
house  was  almost  full  of  stoves.  All  these  goods 
were  new  and  did  not  seem  to  have  been  damaged. 
The  people  who  came  had  helped  themselves  to  all 
they  wanted  and  wondered  where  all  the  goods  came 
from.  This  helped  to  make  the  rumors  prove  more 
true  that  vessels  had  been  plundered  and  the 
crews  killed.  One  of  our  lake  captains  told  me  he 
had  a  brother  who  was  last  seen  at  Beaver  harbor. 
The  vessel  and  crew  were  never  heard  from  and  no 
one  knew  their  fate.  Of  course  when  Strang's  peo- 
ple were  getting  so  bold,  doing  what  they  did,  tak- 


198  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA ;  AND 

ing  everything  from  the  fishermen,  it  could  easily 
be  believed  they  would  plunder  vessels  if  a  good  op- 
portunity came. 

THE  SECRET  SOCIETY. 

Many  have  been  the  hours  spent,  and  days  even, 
by  people  hunting  to  find  the  hull  of  a  schooner 
which  was  said  to  have  been  sunk  off  Little  Sand 
Bay,  myself  among  the  rest,  and  several  times  we 
were  sure  we  could  see  the  hull  of  the  vessel  lying 
at  the  bottom  of  the  lake  several  rods  from  shore. 
We  often  went  rowing  and  sailing  in  that  direction 
and  we  were  sure  to  say,  "Let's  look  for  the  wreck." 
I  asked  the  young  man  that  boarded  wii:h  us  about 
it,  as  he  had  once  been  a  member  of  the  ''Secret 
Society."  I  said,  "Is  it  true?  Has  there  been  such 
things  done?"  He  said,  "If  only  these  stones  could 
talk  they  would  tell  you  of  some  things  that  would 
horrify  you,  and  though  I  am  free  from  Mormon 
rule,  \  would  not  dare  to  tell  you  some  things  which 
our  band  was  sworn  to  do.  We  were  trained  for 
our  work  and  were  known  among  ourselves  as  the 
"Secret  Society."  It  meant  sure  death  to  any  of  us 
to  betray  anything  pertaining  to  our  business."  He 
was  only  eighteen  at  the  time  he  joined  the  "Secret 
Society."  He  often  had  spells  of  great  sadness  and 
many  nights  walked  the  floor  because  he  could  not 
sleep.  Once  I  said  to  him,  "Did  the  King  ever  give 
you  orders  what  to  do?"  He  said,  "At  first  the 
orders  were  given  our  captains  by  the  King,  but  it 
was  not  long  before  we  never  waited  for  orders 
from  headquarters.    We  did  what  we  found  to  do. 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  199 

It  was  the  intention  that  Strang  should  own  and 
rule  the  whole  territory  about  these  islands  and 
mainland  as  fast  as  he  could  get  his  people  scattered 
about  to  possess  the  whole.  Strang  got  too  busy 
making  laws  that  did  not  suit  many  of  the  women, 
which  was  one  cause  of  the  ill-feeling  among  his 
people." 

PAGE  TOWN. 

In  one  of  my  rides  with  Mary  we  went  to  the 
place  called  ''Rocky  Mountain  Point,"  where  the 
forty  thieves  had  their  rendezvous.  It  was  a  lonely 
place,  with  the  waves  rolling  in  over  the  rocky  shore 
where  we  went  to  the  beach  and  the  woods  were 
dense.  I  had  heard  so  many  stories  of  the  Mor- 
mons' doings  there  I  felt  afraid  and  told  Mary  I 
wanted  to  hurry  away,  which  we  did  as  fast  as  our 
horses  could  travel  through  the  path.  When  we 
came  to  "Page  Town"  then  the  spell  was  broken. 
No  one  could  look  upon  this  beautiful  place  and 
feel  fear.  The  view  is  grand  out  over  the  water  to 
the  neighboring  islands  and  the  evergreens  are 
most  beautiful.  "Page  Town"  is  just  on  the  Lake 
Michigan  side  of  Font  Lake.  We  could  see  the 
Johnson  House  as  we  rested  on  the  bank  of  the 
lake.  There  were  about  a  dozen  houses  scattered 
about,  some  right  near  the  bank  and  others  back  in 
among  the  evergreens.  It  was  named  in  honor  of 
Mr.  Page,  who  first  built  his  house  there  with  sev- 
eral of  his  relatives.  The  location  is  most  beauti- 
ful. At  this  spot  Lake  Michigan  is  not  quite  a 
half  mile  from  Font  Lake. 


200  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

The  land  is  a  little  rolling  going  out  to  Font 
Lake,  which  gives  it  a  most  beautiful  view  all 
about.  The  road  was  good  to  the  portage.  We 
rode  around  by  the  Station  Hill,  a  station  put  there 
for  government  survey,  and  is  a  most  beautiful 
place  for  a  look-out,  with  its  white  sandy  beach  and 
clear  water  sparkling  in  the  sunlight.  During  my 
stay  on  the  island  that  was  always  a  favorite  place 
to  go  for  a  quiet,  restful  stroll,  and  our  summer 
visitors  never  failed  to  visit  Station  Hill.  There 
Garden  Island,  with  its  lovely  green  trees,  was  a 
pleasant  view. 

VISITING   THE    LIGHT    KEEPER   AND    HIS    WIFE. 

From  there  Mary  and  I  turned  our  horses'  heads 
toward  the  point  to  visit  the  light  keeper  and  his 
wife.  They  were  a  dear  old  couple.  They  would 
not  let  us  go  before  we  had  tea  with  them.  Their 
children  were  all  married  but  one  daughter.  She 
was  visiting  with  her  sister,  Mrs.  E.  Kanter,  in  De- 
troit, and  expected  to  remain  there  for  the  winter. 
The  old  couple  had  a  young  boy  named  Anthony 
Frazier  living  with  them.  Their  home  was  a 
marvel  of  neatness.  Their  name  was  Granger. 
He  had  been  light-keeper  at  Bois  Blanc,  near 
Mackinac  Island.  His  son  had  taken  his  place  and 
Mr.  Lyman  Granger  had  come  to  take  charge  of 
Beaver  Island  harbor  light,  just  erected  the  year 
before.  They  took  us  in  the  tower  to  see  the  lamp 
It  was  in  beautiful  order.  Mrs.  Granger  seeing  to 
the  polishing  of  the  lamp  and  fixtures  herself.  A 
few  years  later  I  was  married  and  lived  neighbor 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  201 

to  them  until  they  left  the  light-house.  Then  Mr. 
Peter  McKinley  was  appointed  keeper,  where  he  re- 
mained nine  years  with  his  two  young  daughters, 
Effie  and  Mary.  He  lost  his  health  soon  after  his 
appointment,  but  the  girls  took  charge  of  the  light 
house  and  were  faithful  to  their  charge  during 
the  whole  time  of  their  stay,  finally  resigning  to 
go  away. 

OUR  SCHOOL  TEACHERS. 

There  were  always  good  schools  at  the  island, 
having  several  teachers  from  the  city  at  different 
times.  I  will  mention  a  few  of  our  city  and  island 
teachers.  The  city  teachers  were  Miss  Ann  E. 
Granger,  Detroit;  Clara  Holcomb,  Fremont,  Ohio; 
Miss  Belle  and  Hattie  Buckland,  Buffalo,  N.  Y.; 
Miss  J.  Voas  and  Miss  J.  V.  Wilkes,  both  of  Buf- 
falo, N.  Y.  Our  island  teachers  were  C.  R.  Wright, 
Michael  F.  O'Donnell,  Miss  Effie  McKinley,  Miss 
Sarah  O'Malley,  Miss  Sarah  J.  Gibson,  Miss  Annie 
Gibson,  and  many  others.  There  were  two  brothers, 
Charles  and  George  Gillett,  of  Detroit,  Mich.  They 
came  several  summers.  Both  were  fine  musicians. 
They  were  sure  to  be  on  our  first  boat  in  the  spring, 
remaining  until  fall.  One  spring  Charles  came 
alone.  The  younger  brother  had  died  during  the 
winter.  We  missed  his  pleasant  face  and  sweet 
music.  When  the  other  brother  returned  home  that 
fall  he  took  a  bride  with  him,  marrying  Miss  Clara 
Holcomb,  of  Fremont,  Ohio.  Life  on  the  island 
was  never  dull.  Our  summer  friends  were  pleas- 
ant,  friendly  people,  making  the   life  happier  by 


202  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

their  coming.  Good  books  were  sent  us  for  winter 
reading,  and  many  little  tokens  of  remembrance 
were  often  sent  us.  We  gladly  hailed  the  first  boat 
in  the  spring  because  it  always  brought  some  friends 
from  the  outside  world. 

GOING  TO   MACKINAC   ISLAND. 

I  was  again  on  board  the  steamer  Michigan. 
The  same  captain,  the  same  crew ;  Jane,  the  cabin 
maid  was  there  with  her  pleasant  smile.  There 
were  several  passengers  from  Green  Bay  going  to 
Mackinac  Island,  for  it  was  payment  time.  Among 
the  passengers  was  Mr.  Scott,  of  Green  Bay,  who 
once  lived  at  Mackinac  Island.  Another  was  Mr. 
Michael  Dousman,  he  being  another  that  had  lived 
many  years  on  Mackinac  Island.  His  home  then 
being  in  Milwaukee.  When  we  landed  at  Mackinac 
Island  the  entire  beach  from  Mission  House  Point 
to  the  place  where  the  ''Grand"  now  stands  was 
filled  with  a  row  of  Indian  wigwams. 

There  were  Indians  wearing  their  blankets  and 
the  women  dressed  in  bright  gay  colors  with  their 
papooses  strapped  on  their  backs  in  their  Indian 
cradles.  The  cradles  were  trimmed  with  gay  col- 
ored ribbons.  Dogs  and  children  were  all  mixed 
up  together.  Many  squaws  were  pounding  Indian 
corn  to  make  soup  for  their  supper.  The  streets 
near  the  water  at  Mackinac  looked  very  bright  in 
their  gay  colors.  Indian  women  and  their  children 
were  strolling  and  chatting  together  looking  at  the 
bright  colored  goods,  while  the  men  were  most  of 
the  time  walking  about  the  streets  wrapped  in  their 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  203 

white  blankets,  they  talking  together  in  low  tones. 
Perhaps  telling  about  how  their  grandfathers  had 
met  for  councils  of  war  at  this  same  place  so  many 
years  before. 

The  island  was  just  as  beautiful  as  ever.  It  was 
early  spring  time  when  I  saw  it  last  with  the  straits 
full  of  floating  ice.  Now  the  grass  was  green  and 
the  trees  were  in  autumn  dress  with  the  beautiful 
evergreens  mixed  in  among  the  pretty  colored 
leaves  of  maple  and  birch.  The  crisp  autumn  air 
gave  new  life  after  a  hot  summer.  It  had  been  a 
busy  season  with  summer  visitors  and  a  few  had 
lingered  for  payment  time. 

MY  RETURN  TO  BEAVER  ISLAND. 

My  visit  of  a  month  was  greatly  enjoyed  and  I 
returned  to  Beaver  Island,  entering  school  at  once. 
Our  winter  was  a  cold  one,  with  heavy  ice  in  the 
lake,  but  the  next  spring  we  had  the  steamer  Michi- 
gan in  our  harbor  on  April  first.  There  was  still 
drifting  ice,  fishing  soon  began  and  the  summer 
was  a  busy  one,  with  many  summer  visitors.  Our 
island  people  were  very  happy  not  to  be  disturbed 
any  more  by  the  Mormons  or  have  their  property 
stolen. 

There  were  several  Irish  families  that  came  as 
soon  as  the  Mormons  left,  and  more  soon  followed. 
They  bought  the  land  and  made  themselves  homes. 
Among  those  that  came  was  our  genial  friend  Capt. 
Roddy,  so  well  known  all  over  Northern  Michigan. 
He  was  a  true  sailor,  owning  several  sailing  crafts 
at  different  times,  also  owning  a  very  fine  farm  on 


204  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

the  island.  He  lived  there  a  number  of  years.  He 
died  leaving  his  family  very  comfortable.  Many  of 
the  people  who  came  to  the  island  bought  land  and 
took  some  of  the  houses  the  Mormons  had  left  that 
were  around  the  harbor  and  moved  them  to  other 
locations,  so  that  in  a  few  years  the  island  was 
changed  in  its  appearance  by  the  buildings  being 
taken  away  from  where  they  had  been.  Soon  there 
were  enough  people  to  support  a  church,  then  a 
Catholic  Priest  came,  and  by  subscription  a  church 
was  built,  the  Protestants  helping.  Rev.  Father 
Murray  was  the  first  priest  stationed  there.  He  was 
a  very  social  and  kind  hearted  man.  After  him 
came  Rev.  Father  Gallagher,  a  young  student  just 
from  college.  His  former  home  was  Philadelphia. 
He  made  many  improvements  to  the  church  build- 
ing, devoting  his  whole  time  to  his  people.  He  was 
a  jolly  social  man  and  a  great  entertainer.  He 
passed  away  after  a  useful  life  of  thirty-two  years 
service.  His  remains  were  taken  to  his  native  city, 
Philadelphia,  for  interment. 

THE    GIBSON    HOUSE. 

Mr.  Robert  Gibson  and  wife  came  to  the  island 
the  spring  of  1858,  buying  the  property  of  the  old 
Mormon  printing  office,  converting  it  into  a  hotel 
known  ever  since  as  "The  Gibson  House."  Its 
doors  have  been  open  to  guests  up  to  the  present. 
Mr.  Gibson  died  some  years  ago,  since  which  time 
his  widow,  Mrs.  Julia  Gibson,  with  her  family, 
have  continued  the  business  with  success. 

The  "King  Strang  Cottage"  has  gone  to  ruin. 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  205 

What  little  there  was  left  of  it  after  summer  visi- 
tors had  carried  away  pieces  as  relics  took  fire 
and  burned. 

Capt.  Bundy  with  his  gospel  ship  "Glad  Tid- 
ings" often  came  to  our  harbor  and  sailing  around 
other  parts  of  the  shores  and  islands  in  later  years 
holding  religious  services  among  the  people. 

THE  NURSE''S  STORY. 

Soon  after  our  return  to  the  island  after  the 
going  away  of  the  Mormons  I  became  acquainted 
with  a  lady  that  had  come  to  the  island  just  a  few 
weeks  before  Strang  was  shot.  She  came  to  visit 
her  brother.  She  was  a  nurse.  She  told  me  what 
a  sad  time  it  was  to  those  people  when  their  king 
was  shot.  Some  would  not  believe  until  they  saw 
him.  Soon  after  Strang  was  carried  home  the 
doctor  sent  a  messenger  to  this  lady  to  come  and 
take  charge  of  the  sick  room,  as  no  one  else  could 
be  found  capable,  all  being  in  such  an  excited  state 
of  mind.  She  said,  "When  I  reached  Strang's  home 
I  found  him  resting  under  an  opiate.  His  wounds 
had  been  dressed.  The  doctor  was  sitting  beside 
the  bed.  I  knew  him  well  and  he  motioned  me  to 
a  seat.  I  went  across  the  hall  into  another  room, 
hearing  the  sounds  of  crying  and  sobbing.  There 
I  saw  the  four  wives  with  several  neighbor  women 
all  in  a  sorrowful  state  of  mind.  There  was  one 
that  sat  by  herself  by  an  open  window  looking  out 
over  the  water.  She  was  silent  and  quiet  with  a 
far  away  look  in  her  eyes.  I  motioned  to  the  rest 
to  be  quiet,  as  I  feared  it  would  disturb  the  sick 


206  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

man.  I  went  close  and  spoke  to  the  quiet  woman. 
She  was  the  one  called  "Douglas,"  the  favorite 
wife.  Strang  often  called  her  Charley.  I  told  her 
why  I  had  come,  that  I  had  been  sent  for.  She 
roused  herself  up,  saying,  "Oh  yes,  now  I  remem- 
ber some  one  is  needed  in  the  sick  room."  She 
seemed  to  be  almost  in  a  dream.  I  said  to  her,  "This 
may  not  be  so  bad.  He  may  get  well."  She 
shook  her  head,  her  lips  quivered,  then  she  spoke 
in  low  tones  to  me,  saying,  "No,  he  says  himself  he 
can't  get  well  and  he  wants  the  doctor  to  take  him 
away  from  the  island."  She  stopped  a  moment  and 
then  went  on,  "He  wants  to  go  to  his  wife  in  Wis- 
consin. He  says  he  must  go.  The  doctor  told  him 
he  had  better  not  go,  but  his  mind  is  made  up  to 
go.  And  I  think  it  is  best,  but  the  rest  don't  think 
so,"  meaning  the  other  three  women.  She  told  me 
where  I  could  find  everything  I  needed.  There  were 
soon  large  crowds  gathering  about  the  house,  wo- 
men were  wringing  their  hands  and  sobbing  aloud. 
The  quiet  woman  went  out  among  them,  telling 
them  they  must  be  quiet  and  not  disturb  the  sick 
man,  but  they  did  not  seem  to  know  what  she  said. 
They  acted  as  if  they  were  dazed.  The  doctor 
went  out  and  explained  to  them  that  they  must  be 
quiet.  Some  of  them  went  away,  others  sat  down 
on  the  grass,  sobbing  quietly,  seeming  almost  heart- 
broken. I  was  in  the  room  when  Strang  awoke. 
The  doctor  was  near  him.  The  first  words  he  spoke 
were,  "Doctor  can  I  go?  Will  a  boat  soon  come  to 
take  me  home  to  my  wife?"  His  voice  was  strong. 
The   doctor  answered,   "We  will  think  about  this 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  207 

later."  ''No  doctor  I  must  go,  I  cannot  die  here 
on  the  island.  I  must  go  to  my  wife  and  children. 
I  must  see  her  before  I  die.  I  can't  get  well,  I 
know  it,  and  I  know  she  will  forgive  me."  His 
voice  was  pleading.  It  was  hard  for  the  doctor  to 
know  just  what  to  do  or  say  to  him.  I  soon  went 
to  him  with  some  drink.  He  looked  straight  in 
my  face  saying,  "Tell  the  doctor  I  must  go  home  to 
my  wife  and  children.  I  am  going  to  die."  Then 
after  a  few  moments  of  quietness  he  exclaimed,  'Tf 
I  had  only  heeded  her  counsel  this  would  not  have 
happened."  His  pleadings  never  ceased  until  the 
doctor  said.  "Yes,  I  will  take  you."  Such  a  look  of 
joy  came  over  his  face  and  the  great  tears  started 
from  his  eyes.  The  quiet  woman  came  and  took 
his  hand  and  wiped  away  the  tears,  but  he  seemed 
not  to  see  her.  He  repeated  several  times,  'T  am 
going  home  to  Mary."  His  eyes  had  a  far  away 
look  and  his  mind  was  not  dwelling  on  the  daily 
cares,  and  he  took  no  interest  in  anything  about  the 
house.  He  never  mentioned  anything  about  the 
business  of  the  temple,  as  his  only  desire  was  to  live 
until  he  reached  his  wife.  This  quiet  woman  that 
seemed  so  much  to  him  before  was  nothing  to  him 
now.  Her  sorrow  was  great  but  she  bore  it  quietly 
and  helped  in  the  preparations  to  make  him  com- 
fortable on  his  journey,  knowing  she  would  never 
see  him  again  in  this  life.  Four  days  after  he  was 
wounded  he  was  carried  on  board  the  steamer. 
The  scene  was  a  sorrowful  one;  everybody  came 
to  see  their  King  who  had  taught  them  no  harm 
could  come  to  him.     Strang  was  calm  and  quiet 


208  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

through  it  all,  for  to  him  they  only  seemed  as 
passing  friends.  His  thoughts  were  not  of  earth 
and  his  lips  moved  often  as  if  in  prayer.  He  stood 
the  journey  well,  and  the  kind  and  loving  wife 
freely  forgave  him  as  he  died  in  her  arms.  He 
suffered  much,  but  bore  it  bravely,  seeming  per- 
fectly satisfied  to  be  at  home  with  his  true  wife. 

MARRIED   AND    KEEPING    HOUSE. 

The  light-keeper  Mr.  Granger,  had  given  up 
his  position  as  a  keeper,  Mr.  Peter  McKinley  suc- 
ceeding him.  I  was  now  married  to  Mr.  Van  Riper 
and  living  very  near  the  light-house.  My  husband 
had  come  from  Detroit  for  his  health.  After  we 
were  married  he  started  a  large  cooper  shop  at  the 
Point,  employing  several  men  in  the  summer  season. 
My  father  had  now  moved  into  the  "Strang  House," 
as  the  King's  house  was  always  called  by  the  island- 
ers. Up  to  this  time  no  one  had  ever  lived  in  it 
since  the  King's  death.  Somehow  no  one  cared  to 
live  in  it,  but  father  and  mother  found  it  very  com- 
fortable and  pleasant.  There  were  more  people 
coming  to  the  island  all  the  time  to  settle,  buying 
farms.  The  "Johnson  House"  was  now  taken  down 
and  moved  on  some  farm.  All  the  houses  between 
Strang's  house  and  Enoch  had  been  taken  down. 
We  found  the  light-keeper  and  his  daughters  very 
kind  neighbors.  The  two  girls  and  myself  were  like 
sisters  as  time  went  on. 

There  was  no  doctor  at  that  time  on  the  island. 
When  anything  serious  happened  the  people  had  a 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  .  209 

doctor  come  from  Mackinac  Island  and  later  from 
Charlevoix. 

Our  mails  came  by  ice  in  winter  from  Mackinac 
Island,  a  distance  of  fifty  miles.  When  our  mail 
carrier  came  with  the  pouches  full  we  were  like  a 
hungry  lot  of  people,  as  often  we  were  without 
mail  for  a  mionth  or  six  weeks.  Work  was  laid 
aside  until'  the  letters  and  papers  were  read,  then 
for  several  days  news  was  discussed  among  us. 
Good  news  was  enjoyed  by  everybody  and  sad  news 
was  sadness  for  all.  In  later  years  our  mail  route 
was  changed  in  winter  to  Cross  Village,  distant 
about  twenty-five  miles.  Both  Indians  and  white 
men  were  engaged  in  carrying  it,  using  dogs  with 
sleds  as  the  mail  grew  heavier,  with  more  inhabi- 
tants coming.  Winter  was  the  time  for  social 
amusements.  We  usually  had  fine  ice  for  skating, 
which  was  enjoyed  by  both  old  and  young,  wonien 
as  well  as  men. 

The  merchants  laid  in  a  good  stock  of  everything 
necessary  in  the  fall,  but  many  times  people  ran 
short  of  provisions,  then  other  neighbors  divided 
with  them. 

TRAVELLING    BY    WATER. 

In  the  sixties  Charlevoix  people  came  to  Beaver 
Island  to  do  much  of  their  trading,  going  back  and 
forth  in  small  boats.  All  travelling  had  to  be  done 
by  water.  People  felt  no  fear.  We  were  going 
from  island  to  island  in  summer  time.  In  those 
days  at  Little  Traverse,  now  Harbor  Springs,  there 
were  just  a  few  white  settlers,  with  one  or  two 


210  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

stores.  In  the  early  fifties  Mr.  Richard  Cooper 
started  a  store  and  another  was  kept  by  the  "Wen- 
dells" of  Mackinac  Island.  Many  Mackinac  Island 
people  took  their  families  every  summer  for  several 
years  to  the  Gull  islands,  that  being  a  fine  fishing 
ground.  Thousands  of  dollars  worth  of  fish  were 
caught  there.  Beaver  Harbor  was  then  the  center 
for  trade.  Near  to  reach.  "The  boats  were  our 
carriages,  the  wind  our  steeds."  Sometimes  there 
were  accidents  and  many  were  drowned,  still  people 
had  to  live,  and  their  work  was  on  the  water  most 
of  the  time. 

The  winter  of  1861  my  husband  and  I  went  to 
Milwaukee  to  spend  the  winter.  Mr.  C.  R.  Wright 
was  elected  to  the  State  Legislature  at  Lansing  that 
winter,  his  family  spending  the  winter  in  Fairport, 
Ohio.  We  all  returned  to  the  island  in  springtime. 
My  parents  had  now  gone  back  to  Traverse  City 
to  live.  Frank,  my  adopted  brother,  had  enHsted 
as  a  drummer  boy  at  the  beginning  of  the  Civil  War. 

OUR  INDIAN  SCHOOL  AT  GARDEN  ISLAND. 

In  July  of  1862  my  husband  was  appointed  as  a 
Government  school  teacher  to  the  Indians  at  Gar- 
den Island.  The  school  was  a  large  one  as  there 
was  a  large  band  of  Indians.  Our  school  continued 
for  two  years,  then  was  discontinued  for  several 
years  before  another  teacher  was  sent  among  them. 
That  two  years  was  a  busy  life  for  us  both.  The 
Government  furnished  seeds  of  all  kinds  for  their 
gardens,  flower  seeds  as  well  to  beautify  their  homes. 
We  were  expected  to  teach  them  how  to  plant  and 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  211 

cultivate  their  g-ardens  and  farms.  They  learned 
rapidly  to  make  their  gardens,  to  plant  corn  and 
vegetables,  but  these  little  flower  seeds,  they  could 
not  manage  them.  Chief  Peain  was  a  very  social, 
intelligent  man.  He  watched  the  process  of  making 
the  flower  beds  and  the  putting  in  of  the  small  seeds. 
Then  he  said,  "Too  much  work  for  Indian."  He 
then  took  many  of  the  boys  and  girls  with  some 
of  the  older  ones  to  help  clearing  off  three  or  four 
acres  of  land,  put  a  brush  fence  around  it,  they  then 
took  the  flower  seeds  of  the  different  kinds,  sowing 
them  like  grain  and  raked  them  in.  Well,  such  a 
flower  garden  was  never  seen!  There  was  every 
flower  in  the  catalogue  growing  up  together,  and 
never  were  flowers  enjoyed  as  those  Indians  en- 
joyed that  flower  garden.  Every  day  at  all  hours 
could  be  seen  both  old  and  young  going  out  to  look 
at  the  bright  flowers.  Old  grandmothers  with  the 
little  grand  children  would  sit  in  the  shade  near  the 
flowers  and  work  the  pretty  beads  on  the  deerskin 
moccasins  while  the  children  played  and  amused 
themselves.  As  soon  as  school  was  over  then  the 
race  began  for  the  flower  garden.  And  it  was  a 
pleasure  to  us  to  see  them  so  happy.  It  was  called 
"The  Chiefs  Garden."  He  was  greatly  pleased 
with  the  bright  flowers,  and  had  us  write  a  letter 
of  thanks  to  the  Indian  agent  for  him. 

We  always  had  several  friends  visiting  us  from 
Milwaukee  and  other  cities,  which  made  the  time 
seem  all  too  short.  I  often  look  back  to  that  two 
years  of  my  life  and  feel  that  my  time  was  not 
wasted. 


212  A.  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

wentworth's  visit  to  his  island  home. 

Soon  after  I  was  married  Alexander  Wentworth, 
one  of  the  men  that  shot  Strang,  boarded  with  us 
for  several  weeks.  He  came  back  to  the  island  to 
visit  and  see  how  things  were  prospering.  He  was 
a  fine  looking  and  intelligent  man,  very  quiet  in  his 
manner.  We  had  several  other  boarders  at  the  same 
time,  people  who  came  to  see  King  Strang's  Island. 
Alec,  as  they  always  called  him,  was  their  guide  to 
show  them  the  best  fishing  streams  and  take  them 
to  hunt  ducks  and  wild  pigeons.  I  often  talked  with 
Wentworth  about  the  shooting  of  Strang,  asking 
him  if  he  had  any  regrets  about  what  he  had  done. 
He  said,  *'I  have  never  yet  regretted  what  I  did. 
The  Mormon  life  was  bad,  and  there  was  no  good 
in  it  as  I  can  see  and  I  would  not  live  it  over  again 
for  anything."  The  place  he  liked  to  go  best  was 
to  little  Font  Lake  to  the  '7<^hnson  House,"  his 
wife's  old  'Tsland  Home."  This  had  been  the  sec- 
ond season  he  came.  After  that  he  never  came 
again  and  we  never  heard  from  him  any  more. 

MY    HUSBAND   APPOINTED   LIGHT-KEEPER. 

The  winter  of  1865  we  spent  a  very  pleasant 
winter  in  Northport,  the  next  winter  in  Chq,rlevoix, 
where  we  had  built  us  a  new  home  on  Bridge 
street.  We  sold  and  returned  again  to  the  island, 
engaging  in  the  fishing  business  quite  extensively 
for  a  few  years. 

In  August  of  1869  Mr.  Peter  McKinley  resigned 
his  position  as  light-keeper,  my  husband  being  ap- 
pointed in  his  place.    Then  began  a  new  life,  other 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  213 

business  was  discontinued  and  all  our  time  was  de- 
voted to  the  care  of  the  light.  In  the  spring  of  1870 
a  large  force  of  men  came  with  material  to  build  a 
new  tower  and  repair  the  dwelling,  adding  a  new 
brick  kitchen.  Mr.  Newton  with  his  two  sons  had 
charge  of  the  work.  A  new  fourth  order  lens  was 
placed  in  the  new  tower  and  the  color  of  the  light 
changed  from  white  to  red.  These  improvements 
were  a  great  addition  to  the  station  from  what  it 
had  been.  Our  tower  was  built  round  with  a  wind- 
ing stairs  of  iron  steps.  My  husband  having  now 
very  poor  health  I  took  charge  of  the  care  of  the 
lamps,  and  the  beautiful  lens  in  the  tower  was  my 
especial  care.  On  stormy  nights  I  watched  the  light 
that  no  accident  might  happen.  We  burned  the 
lard  oil,  which  needed  great  care,  especially  in  cold 
weather,  when  the  oil  would  congeal  and  fail  to  flow 
fast  enough  to  the  wicks.  In  long  nights  the  lamps 
had  to  be  trimmed  twice  each  night,  and  sometimes 
oftener.  At  such  times  the  light  needed  careful 
watching.  From  the  first  the  work  had  a  fascina- 
tion for  me.  I  loved  the  water,  having  always  been 
near  it,  and  I  loved  to  stand  in  the  tower  and  watch 
the  great  rolling  waves  chasing  and  tumbling  in 
upon  the  shore.  It  was  hard  to  tell  when  it  was 
loveliest.  Whether  in  its  quiet  moods  or  in  a  rag- 
ing foam. 

VESSELS  SEEKING  SHELTER  FROM  THE  STORMS. 

My  three  brothers  were  then  sailing,  and  how 
glad  I  felt  that  their  eyes  might  catch  the  bright 
rays  of  our  light  shining  out  over  the  waste  of 


214  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

waters  on  a  dark  stormy  night.  Many  nights  when 
a  gale  came  on  we  could  hear  the  flapping  of  sails 
and  the  captain  shouting  orders  as  the  vessels 
passed  our  point  into  the  harbor,  seeking  shelter 
from  the  storm.  Sometimes  we  could  count  fifty 
and  sixty  vessels  anchored  in  our  harbor,  reaching 
quite  a  distance  outside  the  point,  as  there  was  not 
room  for  so  many  inside.  They  lay  so  close  they  al; 
most  touched  at  times.  At  night  our  harbor  looked 
like  a  little  city  with  its  many  lights.  It  was  a  pleas- 
ant sound  to  hear  all  those  sailors'  voices  singing  as 
they  raised  the  anchors  in  the  early  morning.  With 
weather  fair  and  white  sails  set  the  ships  went  glid- 
ing out  so  gracefully  to  their  far  away  ports.  My 
brothers  were  sometimes  on  those  ships.  Many 
captains  carried  their  families  on  board  with  them 
during  the  warm  weather.  Then  what  a  pleasure 
to  see  the  children  and  hear  their  sweet  voices  in 
song  in  the  twilight  hours.  Then  again  when  they 
came  on  shore  for  a  race  on  land,  or  taking  their 
little  baskets  went  out  to  pick  the  wild  strawberries. 
All  these  things  made  life  the  more  pleasant  and 
cheerful. 

DEATH  OF  MY  HUSBAND^  THE  LIGHT-KEEPER. 

Life  seemed  very  bright  in  our  light  house  be- 
side the  sea.  One  dark  and  stormy  night  we  heard 
the  flapping  of  sails  and  saw  the  lights  flashing  in 
the  darkness.  The  ship  was  in  distress.  After  a 
hard  struggle  she  reached  the  harbor  and  was  leak- 
ing so  badly  she  sank.  My  husband  in  his  efforts 
to  assist  them  lost  his  life.     He  was  drowned  with 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  215 

a  companion,  the  first  mate  of  the  schooner  "Thom- 
as Howland."  The  bodies  were  never  recovered, 
and  only  those  who  have  passed  through  the  same 
know  what  a  sorrow  it  is  to  lose  your  loved  one  by 
drowning  and  not  be  able  to  recover  the  remains. 
It  is  a  sorrow  that  never  ends  through  life. 

MY  APPOINTMENT  AS  LIGHT-KEEPER. 

Life  to  me  then  seemed  darker  than  the  mid- 
night storm  that  raged  for  three  days  upon  the 
deep,  dark  waters.  I  was  weak  from  sorrow,  but 
realized  that  though  the  life  that  was  dearest  to  me 
had  gone,  yet  there  were  others  out  on  the  dark  and 
treacherous  waters  who  needed  to  catch  the  rays  of 
the  shining  light  from  my  light-house  tower.  Noth- 
ing could  rouse  me  but  that  thought,  then  all  my 
life  and  energy  was  given  to  the  work  which  now 
seemed  was  given  me  to  do.  The  light-house  was 
the  only  home  I  had  and  I  was  glad  and  willing  to 
do  my  best  in  the  service.  My  appointment  came 
in  a  few  weeks  after,  and  since  that  time  I  have  tried 
faithfully  to  perform  my  duty  as  a  light  keeper.  At 
first  I  felt  almost  afraid  to  assume  so  great  a  re- 
sponsibility, knowing  it  all  required  watchful  care 
and  strength,  with  many  sleepless  nights.  I  now 
felt  a  deeper  interest  in  our  sailors'  lives  than  ever 
before,  and  I  longed  to  do  something  for  humanity's 
sake,  as  well  as  earn  my  own  living,  having  an  aged 
mother  dependent  upon  me  for  a  home.  My  father 
had  passed  beyond.  Sorrows  came  thick  and  fast 
upon  me.  Two  brothers  and  three  nephews  had 
found  graves  beneath  the  deep  waters,  but  mine 


216  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

was  not  the  only  sorrow.  Others  around  me  were 
losing  their  loved  ones  on  the  stormy  deep  and  it 
seemed  to  me  there  was  all  the  more  need  that  the 
lamps  in  our  light-house  towers  should  be  kept 
brightly  burning. 

Let  our  lamps  be  brightly  burning 

For  our  brothers  out  at  sea — 
Then  their  ships  are  soon  returning, 

Oh !  how  glad  our  hearts  will  be. 

There  are  many  that  have  left  us, 

Never  more  will  they  return ; 
Left  our  hearts  with  sorrows  aching, 

Still  our  lamps  must  brightly  burn. 


TRIBUTE  TO  THE  SAILORS. 

Oh  sailor  boy,  sailor  boy,  sailor  boy  true ! 
The  lamps  in  our  towers  are  lighted  for  you. 
Though  the  sea  may  be  raging  your  hearts  will  not 

fail; 
You'll  ride  through  the  rolling  foam  not  fearing  the 

gale. 

And  God  in  his  mercy  will  lead  you  aright, 

As  you  watch  the  light-house  with  lamps  burning 

bright. 
The  wind  your  lullaby,  as  the  raging  seas  foam; 
Oh  sailor  boy,  sailor  boy,  we  welcome  you  home. 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  217 

Oh  sailor  boy,  sailor  boy,  sailor  boy  true! 
Your  dear  darling  mother  is  praying  for  you; 
Your  sweet  bride  is  weeping  as  her  vigil  she  keeps, 
Not  knowing  your  ship  has  gone  down  into  the 
deep. 

As  she  walks  on  the  shore,  her  eyes  out  to  sea, 
''Oh  husband,  my  sailor  boy,  come  back  to  me!" 
The  wild  waves  dash  up  at  her  feet  in  a  foam. 
They  answer,  "Your  sailor  boy  no  more  can  come 
home." 

In  sorrow  she  kneels  on  that  wave-beaten  shore, 
"Shall   I   never,    see   my   dear   sailor   boy   more?" 
The  waves  whisper  softly,  their  low  moaning  sound, 
"You'll  meet  your  dear  sailor  boy,  in  Heaven  he's 
crowned." 

LIGHT-KEEPERS  AND  THEIR  WORK, 

Our  light  keepers  many  times  live  in  isolated 
places,  out  on  rocks  and  shoals  far  away  from  land 
and  neighbors,  shut  off  from  social  pleasures.  In 
many  places  there  can  be  no  women  and  children 
about  to  cheer  and  gladden  their  lonely  lives. 
There  is  no  sound  but  the  cry  of  the  sea  gulls  soar- 
ing about  or  the  beating  of  the  restless  waters,  yet 
their  lives  are  given  to  their  work.  As  the  sailor 
loves  his  ship  so  the  light-keeper  loves  his  light- 
house. Where  there  are  three  or  four  keepers  at 
one  station  they  manage  to  make  the  time  pass  more 
pleasantly.    They  must  in  many  cases  be  sailors  as 


218  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

well  as  light-keepers,  as  it  requires  both  skill  and 
courage  to  manage  their  boats  in  sailing  back  and 
forth  between  their  lights  and  the  main-land,  where 
mail,  provisions  and  other  necessaries  are  procured 
for  their  comforts.  Often  they  are  drowned  in  mak- 
ing these  trips.  The  passing  of  the  ships  near  their 
stations  are  like  so  many  old  friends  to  them.  They 
learn  to  love  the  passing  boats  and  vessels,  and  it  is 
a  pleasure  to  know  our  lights  cheer  and  gladden  the 
hearts  of  the  sailors  as  the  waves  run  high  and  the 
wild  winds  blow  on  dark,  stormy  nights.  May  the 
hearts  of  the  light-keepers,  as  well  as  the  life  savers 
in  the  life  saving  service  along  the  great  lakes  and 
coasts,  be  strengthened  and  cheered  in  the  grand 
and  noble  work. 

As  we  lie  in  our  beds  so  snugly  and  warm. 
The  sailors  are  on  the  sea  battling  the  storm. 
As  the  sailors  are  tramping  their  decks  in  the 
midnight  hours, 
We   are   trimming   our   lamps   in   our   light-house 
towers. 

GALES    ON    OUR   LAKES. 

There  were  many  wrecks  towed  into  our  har- 
bor, where  they  were  left  until  repaired  enough  to 
be  taken  to  dry  docks  in  cities.  Sometimes  in  spring 
and  fall  the  canvas  would  be  nearly  all  torn  off  a 
schooner  in  the  terrible  gales  which  swept  the  lakes, 
many  of  which  I  have  been  out  in,  in  my  trips  on  the 
lakes  and  among  the  islands. 

One  of  our  pioneers,  Capt.  Robert  Roe,  of  Buf- 
falo, N.  Y.,  had  settled  on  South  Fox  Island  in 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  219 

1859.  H^  put  out  a  dock,  built  a  comfortable  house, 
and  bought  the  land  the  Mormons  had  occupied. 
He  farmed,  and  furnished  cord  wood  to  lake  steam- 
ers for  many  years.  Many  were  the  gales  he  sailed 
through  in  his  trips  passing  from  the  island  to  main 
land.  His  brother  was  keeper  of  the  light-house 
several  years  at  South  Fox  Island. 

STEAMER    '^BADGER    STATE."' 

Of  all  the  many  steamers  that  came  to  our  har- 
bor as  the  years  passed  on,  and  there  were  many, 
the  ''Badger  State"  of  the  Union  Line  of  Buffalo, 
N.  Y.,  gave  us  the  longest  service,  running  for  ten 
years  into  Beaver  Harbor,  never  once  missing  a 
trip  and  most  always  on  time.  Capt.  Alexander 
Clark  was  master.  No  matter  what  the  weather 
might  be,  how  heavy  the  gale,  the  good  ship  ''Bad- 
ger State"  never  failed  us.  Thousands  of  barrels 
of  fish  were  shipped  on  her  to  city  markets,  bringing 
the  merchants'  goods  and  merchandise.  She  also 
carried  our  summer  mails  and  being  a  popular  boat 
was  always  filled  with  passengers.  From  the  spring 
of  1873  to  the  summer  of  1883  the  "Badger  State" 
was  a  faithful  friend.  No  one  but  those  who  reside 
on  an  island  can  appreciate  the  steamboat  service  or 
what  it  means  to  the  people.  We  learn  to  love  the 
boats,  the  sound  of  the  whistle  even  in  the  midnight 
hours  was  music  in  our  ears  and  brought  cheer  and 
comfort  to  our  hearts. 

CAPT.    E.    A.    BOUCHARD. 

Capt.  E.  A.  Bouchard,  of  Mackinac  Island,  com- 
manded   several    steamers    around    the    lakes    and 


220  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

islands  of  Northern  Michigan  and  Green  Bay. 
Steamers  Passaic  and  Canisteo  of  the  Green  Bay 
line  and  the  Grace  Dormer,  which  burned  in  our 
harbor,  where  one  man  was  burned  and  the  captain 
and  his  wife  had  a  narrow  escape  with  their  lives. 

In  the  early  days  Capt.  E.  A.  Bouchard  sailed 
a  small  steamboat  called  the  "Islander,"  and  often- 
times when  we  saw  the  craft  coming  it  looked  as 
though  it  might  be  one  of  the  small  islands  broke 
loose  from  its  moorings  floating  along  the  water. 
And  it  really  seemed  the  captain  loved  his  little 
craft,  for  his  face  always  wore  a  pleasant  smile 
when  he  greeted  us.  It  mattered  not  for  the 
"Islander's"  beauty,  she  brought  our  mail  and  many 
friends,  who  came  to  enjoy  a  summer  vacation  on 
our  beautiful  island. 

In  the  sixties  we  had  the  steamers  Galena,  Capt. 
Stelle,  master;  Queen  of  the  Lakes,  Capt.  Lewis 
Crarey,  master;  Mayflower,  Capt.  Woodruff,  mas- 
ter; S.  D.  Caldwell,  Capt.  Hunt,  master;  Fountain 
City,  Capt.  Penney,  master ;  Dean  Richmond,  Cuya- 
hoga, Norton,  and  many  others.  In  the  year  1883 
steamers  Lawrence  and  Champlain  made  regular 
trips  until  replaced  by  the  newer  and  larger  boats 
of  the  Northern  Michigan  Line. 

OLD    NEIGHBORS    LEAVING   THE   ISLAND. 

About  the  year  1876  Mr.  James  Dormer,  who 
had  done  an  extensive  business  at  the  Point,  retired 
and  went  to  his  home  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  renting  his 
property  to  Mr.  John  Day  of  Green  Bay,  Wis. 
Later  Mr.  C.  R.  Wright  and  son,  also  one  of  the 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  221 

old  pioneers  of  the  island  who  had  carried  on  the 
fish  business  so  many  years,  sold  his  dock  property 
and  store  building,  moving  to  Harbor  Springs,  still 
continuing  in  the  dry  goods  business.  About  that 
time  others  of  our  island  people  moved  to  the  main 
land,  settling  in  different  parts,  making  new  homes. 
Several  of  the  young  men  filling  responsible  posi- 
tions as  captains,  mates  and  clerks  on  the  lake 
steamers,  and  several  of  the  young  women  being 
trained  nurses  in  city  hospitals. 

I  now  married  again,  still  holding  my  position  as 
light-keeper.  Since  my  marriage  my  official  title 
has  been  Mrs.  Daniel  Williams.  Having  a  desire 
to  change  my  residence  from  the  island  to  the  main- 
land I  made  the  request  to  be  changed  to  a  main- 
land light  station.  I  was  soon  transferred  to  the 
Little  Traverse  light-station  at  Harbor  Springs, 
Mich.  The  light-house  just  finished,  the  lamp  be- 
ing lighted  the  first  time  September  25  th,  1884. 
The  light-station  is  situated  on  the  extreme  end  of 
Harbor  Point,  at  the  entrance  of  Little  Traverse 
harbor. 

SAD  THOUGHTS  ON  LEAVING  MY  ISLAND  HOME. 

Preparations  were  made,  goods  were  packed,  the 
steamer  "Grace  Barker"  with  Capt.  Walter  Chrysler 
as  master,  had  come  to  take  us  to  our  new  home. 
So  often  before  had  I  left  the  island,  passing  sev- 
eral winters  in  other  parts,  but  always  returning 
again,  and  happy  to  get  back  to  my  neighbors  and 
pleasant  island  home,  with  its  fresh,  pure  air.  But 
now  I  knew  this  was  different.    There  would  be  no 


222  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

more  coming  back  to  live,  this  time  was  to  be  the 
last.  The  dear  old  island  and  1  must  part.  I  had 
always  thought  it  beautiful  in  the  many  years  I  had 
called  it  my  home;  but  never  before  had  I  realized 
what  it  had  been  to  me  until  now.  I  was  leaving, 
perhaps  never  more  to  return. 

Recollections  came  of  my  childhood  days  when 
free  from  care  and  knowing  no  sorrow,  I  had  wan- 
dered through  the  pleasant  paths  strewn  with  flow- 
ers, sending  their  sweet  perfume  upon  the  air,  as 
my  brothers  had  so  often  taken  me  with  them  on 
their  hunts;  and  the  beautiful  white  beach  where 
the  blue  waters  came  rolling  in  where  so  often  we 
had  wandered  together,  chasing  the  waves  as  they 
came  tumbling  in  upon  us,  or  as  we  paddled  about 
the  shores  in  our  canoes,  and  where  I  so  often  had 
watched  to  see  their  white  sails  returning  to  land 
when  I  had  not  gone  with  them  upon  the  water. 
As  all  these  thoughts  came  passing  through  my 
mind  I  wondered  if  I  could  leave  all  these  memor- 
ies behind,  or  could  I  carry  them  away  to  the  new 
home,  the  new  land  as  it  almost  seemed.  Though 
our  family  was  broken  and  no  more  could  we  gather 
around  the  hearth  at  evening  time,  some  had  passed 
over  into  the  beyond,  yet  there  was  no  place  on 
earth  where  we  all  seemed  so  close  together  as  on  the 
island  shores.  We  had  passed  through  many 
storms,  both  mental  and  physical,  but  had  felt  the 
mighty  power  of  him  who  rules  all  things  to  give 
us  peace  and  strength.  And  the  "light-house!" 
That  had  been  my  home  so  many  years,  I  loved 
the  very  bricks  within  its  walls.     Under  its  roof 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  223 

I  had  passed  many  happy  years  as  well  as  some 
sorrowful  ones.  It  was  filled  with  hallowed  mem- 
ories. Then  came  the  separation  from  the  friends 
and  neighbors.    Could  their  places  ever  be  filled? 

The  sun  shone  bright,  the  day  was  fair  as  we 
stepped  upon  our  steamer  that  was  to  bear  us  away 
from  our  island  home.  As  we  steamed  so  fast  away, 
we  looked  back  to  watch  its  white  shores  with  beau- 
tiful green  trees  in  the  background  and  the  pretty 
white  tower  and  dwelling  of  our  light-house,  which 
soon  could  be  seen  no  more  only  in  sad,  sweet 
memories. 

Just  a  few  hours  passed  when  we  steamed  into 
Little  Traverse  Harbor,  and  the  "red  light,"  just 
like  the  one  we  had  left,  was  flashing  its  rays  over 
the  waters  of  Little  Traverse  Bay  for  the  first  time. 
The  water  was  calm  and  still.  The  "red  light" 
shone  deep  into  the  quiet  waters,  and  many  eyes 
were  watching  the  bright  rays  from  the  light-house 
tower,  and  the  wish  of  their  hearts  had  been  grati- 
fied in  having  a  light  house  on  Harbor  Point  to 
guide  steamers  and  vessels  into  the  harbor.  The 
evening  was  clear  and  the  picture  was  a  lovely  one 
as  we  rounded  the  point  so  near  the  light.  Some 
passengers  said  to  me,  "Here  is  your  home.  Don't 
you  know  the  red  light  is  giving  you  a  welcome?" 
Yes,  it  was  all  one's  heart  could  wish,  yet  I  felt  there 
was  another  I  had  left  in  the  old  home  that  was  now 
just  a  little  more  dear  to  my  heart. 

IN   THE   NEW   HOME.  BuOOft  LBtfliy 

We  were  met  by  friends  and  taken  to  their  home 


224  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

for  the  night.  Next  morning  we  drove  through  the 
resort  grounds  to  "Harbor  Point  Light  House," 
as  it  is  known  by  the  land  people,  but  to  the  mariner 
it  is  ''Little  Traverse  Light  House."  We  were  soon 
at  work  putting  our  house  in  order,  and  the  beauti- 
ful lens  in  the  tower  seemed  to  be  appealing  to  me 
for  care  and  polishing,  which  I  could  not  resist,  and 
since  that  time  I  have  given  my  best  efforts  to  keep 
my  light  shining  from  the  light-house  tower.  Many 
old-time  friends  cam.e  to  see  us  in  our  new  home  on 
Harbor  Point,  and  though  we  greatly  missed  our 
island  home  and  island  neighbors,  we  soon  felt  an 
interest  in  our  new  surroundings.  What  I  missed 
here  most  was  not  to  see  the  passing  ships  and 
steamers,  as  they  were  constantly  passing  where  .we 
could  see  them  from  the  island. 

There  were  a  number  of  steamers,  both 
large  and  small,  running  on  our  bay.  Steamers 
City  of  Grand  Rapids,  T.  S.  Faxton,  both  owned 
by  Mr.  Hannah  at  Traverse  City,  that  ran  as  far 
as  Mackinac  Island,  steamer  Van  Raalte,  owned 
by  Mr.  Charles  Caskey  of  Harbor  Springs.  She 
was  put  on  the  Manistique  route,  calling  at  St. 
James,  carrying  the  mail,  with  Capt.  E.  A.  Bou- 
chard as  master ;  Clara  Belle,  another  small  steamer, 
with  several  tugs.  Northern  Michigan  line  was 
Lawrence,  Champlain,  City  of  Petoskey,  and  City  of 
Charlevoix.  At  this  writing  the  same  company  have 
the  Kansas,  and  the  two  staunch  new  steamers,  Illi- 
nois and  Missouri.  We  also  have  the  large  passen- 
ger S.  S.  Manitou  with  Steamer  Northland,  and  the 
Hart  line  boats  of  Green  Bay. 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  225 

VISITING  AT   TRAVERSE   CITY. 

Since  coming  to  mainland  I  have  visited  my  old 
Traverse  City  home.  There  I  met  many  friends  of 
my  childhood  days,  my  teacher  among  the  rest,  with 
her  sister  Agnes.  For  a  couple  of  weeks  I  was  en- 
tertained by  my  old  friends,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  D. 
Campbell  and  family.  While  there  I  visited  all  the 
old  haunts  and  located  the  spot  where  the  little  log 
school  house  had  stood,  and  the  crooked  tree  which 
we  school  children  loved  so  much  to  climb  into  and 
sit  while  our  companions  played  about  among  the 
green  pines  and  oaks.  I  strolled  around  to  Bryant's 
where  the  road  turns  off  to  Old  Mission.  The  old 
Bryant  home  looked  just  the  same,  nestling  among 
the  green  trees,  as  in  the  years  of  long  ago.  Close 
beside  it  was  the  beautiful  home  of  my  school 
days'  friend,  Mrs.  Frank  Brush,  where  I  was  very 
cordially  entertained  by  herself  and  family.  I  vis- 
ited with  my  old  friends  in  their  handsome  country 
home,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  K.  Gunton,  then  around  the 
bay  to  Greilick's.  It  seemed  but  yesterday  since  I 
had  left  it,  and  yet  I  missed  so  many  of  the  old 
familiar  faces.  There  was  much  sadness  mixed  in 
with  the  pleasure  of  meeting  with  old  friends. 

The  city  had  changed,  no  traces  were  left  of  my 
old  home.  The  mill  pond  was  filled  in  and  streets 
and  buildings  were  in  its  place.  Strangers  were  in 
the  places  where  once  we  children  had  run  our 
races  down  the  car  track  to  the  dock.  The  house 
where  I  had  last  visited  my  father,  had  been  re- 
moved and  another  built  in  its  place,  but  the  little 


226  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA:  AND 

gurgling  brook  was  still  singing  its  cheerful  songs 
and  the  flowers  were  blooming  on  its  mossy  banks. 
The  beautiful  forest  trees  had  been  cut  down  and  a 
city  was  made  where  once  the  wild  strawberries  and 
June  roses  grew,  even  the  Company's  garden  where 
we  school  children  used  to  go  and  ride  the  horses 
around  the  field,  was  all  changed  into  a  city.  While 
there  I  found  where  my  three  school  friends  were, 
the  Rice  girls.  I  had  thought  them  dead,  but  happy 
was  the  meeting  after  thirty-six  years  of  separation, 
and  every  summer  since  they  never  fail  to  make  a 
little  visit  to  the  light-house,  where  we  again  live 
over  the  old  days.  Although  there  are  silvery 
threads  among  the  gold  of  our  hair,  we  feel  our 
hearts  are  young  when  speaking  of  the  old  school 
days. 

Since  I  left  my  island  home  I  have  never  re- 
turned but  once.  The  short  time  I  was  there  were 
precious  hours  to  me,  and  though  I  cannot  go  I 
so  often  see  it  in  memory  as  it  was  when  nature 
had  put  on  her  most  lovely  garments  of  green; 
when  June  roses  were  in  bloom  filling  the  air  with 
fragrance  with  the  friends  of  my  younger  days. 
Such  pictures  can  never  fade  from  memory. 

I  always  feel  a  deep  interest  in  the  prosperity 
and  welfare  of  the  island  people.  My  present  sur- 
roundings are  all  that  could  be  wished  for,  and  the 
light-house  on  Harbor  Point  is  the  place  that  is 
dearest  to  me. 

A  few  of  the  old  pioneers  of  the  island  are  Capt. 
Manus  Bonnar,  who  owns  and  runs  the  Hotel 
Beaver;    Mr.    and    Mrs.   Jarnes   Punlevey  have   a 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  227 

fine,  large  dry  goods  store ;  Mr.  James  McCann  has 
another  with  general  merchandise ;  Mr.  William  Gal- 
lagher is  the  pioneer  pound-net  fisherman  of  the 
island ;  Mr.  William  Boyle  and  several  others  are  in 
business.  Several  outside  people  have  invested  in 
land  and  in  the  near  future  expect  to  have  a  resort 
with  daily  boats  running  to  main  land  in  the  summer 
months.  No  more  healthful  place  can  be  found 
for  rest  and  recreation  than  the  fair  and  beautiful 
Beaver  Island. 

RESORTS  AROUND  LITTLE  TRAVERSE  BAY 

The  growth  of  many  resorts  around  little  Tra- 
verse Bay  have  been  wonderful  since  my  coming  to 
Harbor  Point  light-house.  Bay  View  with  its  sum- 
mer schools  of  music,  paintings  and  works  of  art, 
with  its  splendid  gospel  teachings  and  quiet  restful 
places  where  people  come  to  rest  the  tired  brain 
from  a  busy  city  life.  It  is  an  ideal  place  for  sum- 
mer rest. 

Petoskey  is  a  beautiful  little  city  built  upon  a 
hillside.  It  has  many  advantages  of  pure  air,  beau- 
tiful views  of  the  water  on  the  bay  and  Lake  Mich- 
igan. With  its  boats  and  railroads  nothing  more 
is  needed  for  comfort. 

Roaring  Brook,  a  picturesque  spot  of  nature 
which  must  be  seen  to  be  appreciated.  One  must 
listen  to  the  roaring  of  the  brook  to  understand  the 
meaning  of  the  gurgling  sound.  One  never  tires 
in  rambling  about  through  the  quiet,  shady,  green 
mossy  nooks  where  the  birds  sing  sweetly  among  the 
cedar  trees. 


228  A  CHILD  OF  THE  SEA;  AND 

Wequetonsing,  how  fair  to  look  upon.  With 
its  handsome  cottages,  green  lawns,  flowing  water 
clear  as  crystal.  Surely  no  drink  can  be  sweeter 
than  this  pure  water !  It  has  a  beautiful  view  of  the 
bay,  with  Petoskey  showing  so  prettily  across  the 
waters,  and  the  light-house  point  with  its  green  trees 
making  delightful  scenery  for  the  eyes  to  rest  upon. 

Then  the  pretty  town  of  Harbor  Springs  nest- 
ling so  near  the  high  bluff  with  its  many  pretty 
buildings  on  the  heights  from  which  the  view  is 
perfect.  On  clear  days  Fox  Islands  and  Beaver 
Island  can  be  plainly  seen. 

And  beautiful  Charlevoix.  Her  natural  beau- 
ties with  works  of  man  have  made  her  fair  to  look 
upon.  I  love  to  remember  the  beautiful  scenery  as 
I  saw  it  when  a  child,  with  its  lovely  forest  trees 
growing  down  to  the  water's  edge,  wild  birds  warb- 
ling in  the  branches,  wild  ducks  swimming  upon  the 
quiet,  calm  waters  of  little  Round  Lake.  There 
are  many  other  resorts  scattered  all  about  the 
bays  and  shores  where  people  find  rest  and 
strength. 

Last,  but  not  least,  is  beautiful  Harbor  Point.  A 
narrow  point  of  land  which  helps  to  form  the  harbor 
with  water  on  both  sides  and  a  heavy  growth  of 
trees  of  many  different  kinds  making  lovely,  natural, 
shady  parks,  with  many  fine  summer  homes  and 
beautiful  drives.  On  the  end  of  the  Point  stands  the 
lighthouse  with  its  red  light  flashing  out  at  night 
over  the  waters,  looking  like  a  great  red  ruby  set 
with  diamonds  as  the  electric  lights  are   shining 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  MORMONS. 


229 


around  the  bay  and  harbor.    What  more  is  needed 
of  nature's  beauty  to  make  the  picture  complete  ? 

The  sun  has  sunk  in  the  west,  leaving  the  sky  all 
purple  and  pink.  The  moon,  just  risen,  sheds  her 
soft,  mellow  light  over  the  earth ;  all  nature  is  rest- 
ing. The  birds  are  in  their  nests,  the  whip-poor-will 
has  ceased  her  plaintive  notes,  the  sea  gulls  are  soar- 
ing away  to  their  nightly  rest.  No  sound  is  heard 
save  the  soft,  low  murmurings  of  the  waves  upon 
the  shore. 


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